Lingayat-Veerashaiva divide bid aimed at splitting Hindus, alleges Kaneri seer

KALABURAGI, Sept 28 : Kaneri Mutt seer Adrushya Kadasiddeshwar Swami has alleged that attempts to separate the Lingayat and Veerashaiva identities are part of a broader effort to divide Hindus.

Addressing the Basavadi Sharanara Hindu Samavesha here on Sunday, the seer questioned those opposing the convention while claiming to uphold the legacy of Basaveshwara and the sharanas.

He alleged that some self-proclaimed followers of Basaveshwara selectively criticised Hindu traditions while continuing to accept positions, recognition and other benefits from institutions rooted in the same social and religious framework.

“This is a double standard,” he said, arguing that ideological differences should not be turned into an attempt to create a separate political and social identity by distancing Lingayats and Veerashaivas from the broader Hindu tradition.

The seer also alleged that Basaveshwara’s name was being invoked to promote Communist ideology and said the Kalaburagi convention was aimed at bringing what he described as such an agenda before the public.

Responding to arguments drawing parallels between Basaveshwara’s teachings and Islamic practices, he said similarities in practices such as fasting, charity and prayer did not make different religious traditions identical. Referring to issues including triple talaq and halal, he said questions of religious reform should be examined by applying the same standards across communities.

He also referred to the Vedas and Manusmriti, saying Hindu philosophical traditions had evolved through centuries of debate, questioning and reform, including discussions on the status of women.

In another allegation, the seer claimed that some religious heads associated with the Basava Abhiyana had benefited from land in prime locations. He said he was ready to produce evidence if the allegations were challenged.

The remarks come amid opposition to the convention from the Basava Tatva Haagu Samvidhana Rakshana Horata Samiti, whose members have objected to presenting Basaveshwara’s vachana tradition within what they view as a framework that dilutes its distinct philosophical identity.

The controversy has brought into focus competing interpretations of Basaveshwara’s legacy and the broader debate over how the Lingayat and Veerashaiva traditions should be situated within Karnataka’s religious and social landscape.