Bengaluru: Explosive details of BJP State Party President B S Yeddyurappa’s proposal to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh demanding separate religion status to Lingayats have come out in the public. His double-standards of now remaining silent or accusing Congress of political game over the separate religion for Lingayats have been questioned by the ruling government.

In 2013, former CM Yeddyurappa had written a letter to then prime minister Manmohan Singh demanding separate religion status for Lingayats. He was then a member of KJP.

Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha had demanded separate religion status for Veerashaiva-Lingayats and a letter was sent to the then home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and the PM. BSY, Mahasabha National President Shyamanur Shivashankarappa, ministers Eshwar Khandre, Sharanprakash Pateel, M B Patil, Vinay Kulakarni, MP Prabhakar Kore, former minister Umesh Katti, Basavraj Bommai, JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti and more than 50 prominent Lingayat leaders had signed the letter too.

After one sect belonging to Lingayat community demanded separate religion status for themselves and following huge rallies in Bidar demanding the same, CM Siddaramaiah said that he was ready to send a recommendation to the Centre seeking religion status for the community. Yeddyurappa who considers the community his vote bank was quick to accuse CM of playing political games with religion by creating confusion though the former himself had demanded for the same way back in 2013.

“I personally feel that the concept of Lingayat religion is in perfect order. But there should not be differences of opinion in the community. I have no objection in making a recommendation to the Centre on religion status. The attempt to bring about reforms in the caste system is akin to searching for water in a well filled with trash,” CM had said.

Meanwhile, CM clarified in Mysuru on Saturday that his government had never said that there should be separate religion status for Lingayats. “It was the request from Mathe Mahadevi and Veerashaiva Mahasabha to have a separate religion. Hence, we will look whether there is a provision for the same and take a call”, he added.