Panchamasali seer uses derogatory term for CM, regrets later

Sangana Basava Shivacharya Swami of Managuli Mutt used a derogatory term to describe Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said that he would never fulfil the demand of the Panchamasali community to include it in OBC category 2A. However, on Thursday, he said that he withdrew the term and expressed regret over his statements.

“I know him well. He will never give 2A reservation to the Lingayat Panchamasali community,’‘ the seer had said at Ronihal village in Vijayapura district on Wednesday night.

Speaking at the 200th anniversary of the battle of Kittur organised by Kittur Channamma Yuvaka Sangha, the seer said that efforts to seek recategorisation of the community from the Congress government were a waste of time. Mr. Siddaramaiah will never give us that benefit. We can get them only from a government of other parties. I have told this to Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami of Kudalasangama Mutt. But he keeps meeting Mr. Siddaramaiah with this demand. Mr. Siddaramaiah acts as if he is very friendly with the Kudalasangama seer. But he will never include us in OBC category 2A,” he said.

In a video message on Thursday, the seer said he regretted his statement. “His followers have told me that the terms would amount to an insult to the leader and his stature. I made these remarks as I was upset at some communities like Panchamasalis and Kurubas not getting reservation benefits. I am withdrawing the terms I used in anger,” he said.

The seer had also said that Mr. Siddaramaiah had tried to put his hand on the shoulder of the Kudalasangama seer during a recent meeting in Bengaluru. “That is an insult to the swami. If I was in his place, I would have slapped Mr. Siddaramaiah and asked the mad man to go away,” Shivacharya Swami said.

The seer alleged that it was Mr. Siddaramaiah who goaded some Lingayat leaders to seek separate religion recognition for Lingayatism and ended up creating divisions among the community. He said that politicians had begun identifying freedom fighters by their caste, only for political gains and asked youth to be wary of such vested interests.

Published - November 14, 2024 09:17 pm IST