Rajya Sabha member and BJP leader Eranna Kadadi said, “Congress is creating confusion among Lingayats regarding naming of the community.”
The Congress has lost its hands in the past by engaging in issues related to Lingayats. But it doesn’t look like it learns from its mistakes, he said. He was speaking after Hanumant Nirani filed his nomination for the Legislative Council elections in Belagavi on Friday.
“It is not for the politicians to decide whether the words Lingayat or Veerashaiva should be used for the community. Religious leaders and community leaders should decide that,” he said. Responding to a question, he said that he believes that both the words have been used interchangeably.
He reiterated his stand that Lingayats were part of Hinduism. The statement that Lingayats are not Hindus has no meaning. Hinduism is a religion and Lingayats are a caste. He said that Hindus are a way of life and therefore all Indians are Hindus.