The Hindu : Congress comes in for flak

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 07, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Congress comes in for flak

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, MARCH 6. The Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha (ABVMS) has called on its members to punish political parties which have overlooked the interests of Lingayats and discriminated against them.

The call was made at the district-level meeting of the ABVMS here today.

Key speakers including the State unit president of the ABVMS, Bhemmana Khandre, alleged that the Congress had failed to protect the interests of Veerashaivas.

"The community members have been discriminated against by successive governments, and key posts and portfolios have been denied to Veerashaivas. This is due to the failure of the community to organise itself properly,'' Mr. Khandre said.

He said that there were more than 40 million Veerashaivas in the country, including nearly 1.3 crore in Karnataka. "Yet, the percentage of Veerashaivas occupying key posts or their presence in public office is negligible,'' he said.

Speakers alleged that the Congress had failed to uphold the interests of the community and said that the Government had not devoted adequate attention to securing the release of the former Minister, late Nagappa, who was abducted by forest brigand Veerappan and was found dead.

The Government ignored the demand for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation to ascertain the cause of Nagappa's death, they added.

Thippanna, vice-president of the ABVMS, referred to a statement reportedly attributed to a member of State Cabinet during the kidnap episode that "Nagappa's rescue was the responsibility of Veerashaivas''. He urged the community members to "teach a lesson to the Congress'' in the coming elections.

Meanwhile, a circular was distributed by a group, "Veerashaiva Chintakara Chavadi'', which said it was necessary for the community to ensure the defeat of the Congress.

Another circular said that a dharna would be staged at Kamagere if Nagappa's son-in-law Kiran Patel did not resign from the Congress.

Later, the maha sabha leaders addressed a press conference and criticised the Congress for enrolling Mr. Kiran Patel as a member of the party in a bid to soften the criticism from Nagappa's family and a large section of their followers.

Mr. Khandre and Mr. Thippanna said a decision on supporting a party other than the Congress would be taken only after the "Veerashaiva awareness convention'' in all the districts of the State. The convention was being held in the backdrop of the coming Assembly elections and the concern among the Veerashaivas that the policies of the Union and State governments had affected them.

Mr. Khandre said that the Government had allegedly deprived Veerashaivas of the benefit of reservation by not including them among the backward caste groups even though a majority of Lingayats were poor.

More than 4,000 members of the community staged a procession and gathered at the Ursu Boarding School grounds next to the University Pavilion. The procession comprised cultural and folk troupes from the district.

Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji of Suttur Math was present.

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