Shivashankarappa stirs pot with Lingayat officers comment

Maqsood Maniyar | NT

Bengaluru: Senior Congress MLA from Davangere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa has claimed in public that Lingayat officers were being marginalised under the State government.

Shivashankarappa, the oldest MLA in the state at 92 years, is also the president of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. The veteran lawmaker on Thursday went so far as to say that the condition of the Lingayat officers under the State government was “worse than that of dogs”.

“Lingayats are being sidelined in the selection of top officials in government offices,” Shivashankarappa said.

“They point out they (State government) have given ministerial berths to seven Lingayats but there are 74 MLAs from the community,” he added. Shivashankarappa’s son SS Mallaikarjun is one of the seven Veerashaiva-Lingayat ministers in the Cabinet and holds the Mines and Geology and Horticulture portfolios.

The veteran Congressman even claimed that Lingayat MLAs could ally with “another party” and form a government.

“The population of Lingayats is the highest, percentage wise. We are capable of forming a government if we join hands with others. I can even talk to the chief minister about this. I don't fear anyone,” he said.

“There is disenchantment over this. Our community is being dealt with unjustly. We intend to warn the government,” he added.

Cong bigwigs react tamely

Meanwhile Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and Home Minister G Parameshwara offered a muted reaction to the controversy.

Siddaramaiah denied that any community was being discriminated against in the government. “It is not possible to say that the Lingayat community which has seven ministers in the Cabinet is being discriminated against. There is no injustice toward any caste or religion in the Congress,” Siddaramaiah said.

Shivakumar on the other hand said that he would speak with Shivashankarappa before commenting. Parameshwara pointed out that posting of officers didn’t happen on the basis of caste.

“Our government doesn’t post officers based on caste. Those who are competent, honest, work for the people and implement the government’s schemes will be appointed. Castebased recruitment may happen in the reservation pattern. However, work isn’t assigned based on caste,” he said.

BJP backs veteran MLA

BJP leaders such as former CM Basavaraj Bommai and Vijayapura MLA Basangouda Patil have lent credence to Shivashankarappa’s comment.

“Shamanur Shivashankarappa is very senior. He has been an MLA several times and has experienced many governments in power. He is also the Veerashaiva Mahasabha president. If he says such a thing, it is a serious matter. There will be a big discussion on this in the coming days,” Bommai said.

INC WOOING COMMUNITY

Congress has been trying to take advantage of dissatisfaction among Lingayats, resulting from BJP forcing Yediyurappa to step down as CM in 2021 and not giving Jagadish Shettar a ticket in 2023.

This had antagonized the Banajiga sect to which they belong. They also denied a ticket to another Lingayat stalwart in Laxman Savadi, who is a Ganiga.

Savadi is now a Congress MLA while Shettar is an MLC. A section of Lingayats broke away from the BJP and did vote for the Congress in May’s Assembly election but BJP retains the support among most Lingayat voters.