Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha Meeting on caste census, confusing: Ayanur Manjunath

Shivamogga
A meeting called by the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha on the caste census has been described as confusing by former MP Ayanur Manjunath. Shamanur Sivashankarappa, president of the Mahasabha and Congress leader, was urged to take a clear stance. The Congress party supports a caste census, and Manjunath stated that everyone should commit to this. Concerns were raised about the possible influence of the BJP in calling the meeting, which was seen as an attempt to create confusion.
The Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha claims that its followers are not Hindus, stating that Lingayat is a distinct religion. Manjunath questioned whether Yediyurappa and his family would indicate “Veerashaiva Lingayat” in the religion column during the caste census or if they would identify as Hindu. He accused the Yediyurappa family of exploiting caste for political gain and called for clarification on their stance.
Manjunath emphasized the importance of conducting a caste census to achieve social justice, asserting that it is essential for developing effective economic policies.