Tumakuru: After former chief minister Siddaramaiah spoke his heart out about the Lingayat separate religion row, reiterating that he was not the ‘villain’ nor ‘sinner’ in a book release programme yesterday i.e, on Saturday, July 27, in Bengaluru, veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa has countered Siddaramaiah’s statement, here on Sunday, July 28.
Speaking to media, after participating in the ‘Pratibha Puraskara’ programme organized by the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, he said, “Siddaramaiah has failed miserably in his attempt of dividing the religion. He had attempted to divide Lingayat and Veerashaiva”.
Criticizing his yesterday’s statement, he said, “To say that Lingayat religion is an independent religion, not attached to Hinduism, is Siddaramaiah a Lingayat?”
Shamanuru even criticized the media personnel for asking about his views on Siddaramaiah’s ‘not a villain’ statement yesterday, in terms of Lingayat separate religion row. He said, “The separate religion row is long forgotten. Do not bring it to limelight once again. Lingayat-Veershaiva are like two faces of a coin.”
Meanwhile, he gave a call to both Lingayat and Veershaiva communities to stand united as already the seed of separate religion was sown with bad political intentions.
