Bengaluru: Minister for Higher Education Basavaraj Rayaraddi told reporters on Thursday that the Ministers belonging to the Lingayat/Veerashaiva communities in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet would not be in a position to resolve the differences between seers of Lingayat/Veerashaiva communities.

Ministers M.B. Patil, Vinay Kulkarni, Sharanprakash Patil, Eshwar Khandre, S.S. Mallikarjun, and Rayaraddi belong to Lingayat/Veerashaiva community. Echoing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s statement, Rayaraddi said the government would recommend separate religion tag for Lingayats if the seers settle their differences. “Streetlights between seers of Lingayat/Veerashaiva communites will complicate the issue,” he said.

Hitting out at BJP leaders such as former Chief Ministers Jagadish Shettar and B.S. Yeddyurappa, Rayaraddi said both leaders had adopted “double standards” and considered Lingayats as Hindus following directions from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “The BJP leaders adopted the Hindutva ideology and are totally silent on the issue,” the minister claimed.

A couple of days ago, thousands of people gathered in Belagavi demanding a separate religion status for Lingayats. There was a similar gathering in Bidar earlier.