DK Shivakumar apologies over Lingayat

 by Ipseeta Das

On Wednesday, Putting the Karnataka Congress in a mortifying situation, in a public meeting Water Resources and medical Education Minister DK Shivakumar admitted that the decision by the party to accord separate religion status to Lingayats perhaps had a backlash and that people should forgive the party for making this mistake.

The minister was addressing the Dussehra Dharmasamelan attended by the Rambhapuri Seer, Veera Someshwara Shivacharya Swami in Gadag when he explicit his views stating that many within the Congress too were opposed to the separate religious status. However, the then government had taken a stand.

DK Shivakumar clarified that these were his personal views and he felt that being a people's representative he had wronged them. Though the state could bring more conflicts within the Congress party because MB Patil, Vinay Kulkarni the leaders of Lingayat were leading the fight for different religion.

Shivakumar also was known as the crisis man of Congress mentioned that there is no reason for any conflict within the party itself as the decision taken had no outcomes and everyone had to see after it. Congress loosed the votes in the northern Karnataka which is a part of Lingayat belt. 

The former Congress government of Karnataka which was being headed by Siddaramaiah on 19th march vouchsafes the minority religion status to Lingayats before the assembly elections of the state. And this step taken by Congress had resulted in claims coming from BJP against Congress.

With the Lok Sabha elections not far away, could this statement by DK Shivakumar be a new strategy by the Congress to woo the Lingayat community? Or will it lead to further rifts within the Congress, one will have to wait and watch.