RSS publicly criticises demand for religion status for Lingayats

After a long silence on the matter of religion status for Lingayats, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) now seems to have decided to up the ante against the demand. Prominent functionaries of the group chose the platform of Vijayadashami discourses to publicly criticise the demand in the Lingayat-dominated northern parts of the State. Talk of “attack on the Hindu society” and the need for unity has always been part of the address of Sangh pracharaks during Vijayadashami programmes. But this time, they pointedly referred to “attempts to divide the Hindu society on the lines of caste and religion” through the demand for religion status for Lingayats. On Sunday in Bagalkot, RSS kshetra pracharak Su. Ramanna criticised the religious heads and politicians who have been vocal in their support for the demand. He described them as people who have “lost sanity” and said that those who have not understood the very concept of religion were now talking about “Lingayat dharma”. He also announced that the RSS would fight against these efforts to divide the society. In Hubballi, RSS kshetriya sangh chalak (south central region) V. Nagaraj asked swayamsevaks to be wary of people trying to divide Hindus. The outburst of the RSS pracharak at Bagalkot has received criticism on social media from those in favour of the Lingayat demand. MLC Basavaraj Horatti of the JD(S), former bureaucrat S.M. Jamadar and the president of the Vishwa Lingayat Mahasabha have issued a joint statement strongly condemning Mr. Su. Ramanna’s words. Meanwhile, a prominent member of the RSS told The Hindu that “such remarks are in tune with the Sangh’s national stand to oppose any attempts to divide the Hindu religion”. He said the RSS plans to take up the issue at the grassroots level using prominent personalities and organisations. “Though the Bharatiya Janata Party too has been opposing the demand for separate religion status, it is keeping quiet for the moment for strategic reasons as [this] is a very sensitive issue,” he said.