All for votes? BJP, Congress leaders remember Basaveshwara; Amit Shah faces protest


Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 18: The BJP and Congress, state as well as national leaders made sure that they paid their tributes to 12th-century saint Basaveshwara on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Wednesday April 18. The sudden devotion could be in the backdrop of the Lingayat-Veerashaiva issue in the state. Basaveshwara is revered by the Lingayats as well as the Veerashaiva community members. Leaders from BJP and Congress tried to make the maximum of the occasion, to appease voters from both the sects in the wake of the upcoming Karnataka polls.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes at the bust of the saint at Albert Embankment Gardens in London and also uploaded a video of the same on his Twitter handle. The PM is on a four-day trip to Sweden and England.




Amit Shah who is in Karnataka began the day by garlanding the statue of Basaveshwara in Bengaluru. Just half an hour prior to that, Karnataka Congress state unit chief G Parameshwara paid his tribute to the same statue.

All India Congress Committee President Rahul Gandhi tweeted his tribute to the saint in English as well as in Kannada. Chief minister Siddaramaiah took a dig at BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, saying that at least on Basava Jayanti the BJP leader should follow his principles.



Amit Shah visited several Lingayat Maths and met leaders of the sect in Karnataka. His schedule also stated a meet with senior litterateur and researcher M Chidananda Murthy, an expert on Lingayat issues and Dalit poet Siddalingaiah, reportedly to seek their views on what elements should go into the BJP manifesto.

The Congress too made similar plans for chief minister Siddaramaiah.

 

Bar Siddaramaiah from garlanding Basaveshwara's statue: Shobha Karandlaje

In midst of the tributes, a sharp comment by BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje made Ramalinga Reddy lose his cool.

"Siddaramaiah should not be allowed to garland any statue of Basaveshwara throughout the state," said Karandlaje. She demanded Lingayats and Veerashaivas to bar Siddaramaiah from garlanding Basaveshwara's statue and blamed him for splitting the Lingayat community only with an intention to gain votes and create a vote bank for his party.

Reddy hit back saying that Basaveshwara is not Karandlaje’s property. “Who is she?” he questioned.

 

Protests against Amit Shah

Prior to Shah garlanding Basaveshwarasa’s statue, Lingayat community members staged a protest against Shah near Chalukya circle. They demanded that Shah makes his stand clear on the demand for Lingayat as a separate religion, and ask the government to approve the recommendation for the same.

However, before his arrival, the police arrested several from the community and dispersed the protesters from the location.

The Lingayats, who consider Basaveshwara the founder of a separate religion, have been supporters of the BJP from the late 1990s. However, CM Siddaramaiah’s move on recommending a minority religion status for Lingayats just weeks ahead of the May 12 election, has put BJP in a ‘Catch 22’ situation. Most of the Lingayat leaders are publicly supporting Congress, while BJP is working extra hard to stop the uprising.

The Lingayat community leaders from BJP, including BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yedyurappa, have called Congress's move 'politically motivated'.

  

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Comment on this article

  • paul dsouza, balkunje

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    PEOPLE CALL HIM BOGALA BEDA...!!!

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Shammi, Karnataka

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    Now all of them remember suddenly Basavanna's Bday.Since so many years Basawanna's bdays had come where were these kind hearted soul.

    This is not remembering they just remember Karnataka elections.Lingayat community is more here and they are his followers ,so simply trying to impress.

    CHAMELEONS.PLEASE STOP SHOW OFFs.

    Modiji yours is heights.

    DisAgree Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • Declan, Mumbai

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    Before putting the garland he always turns to check if all Indian TV channels cameras are properly focused on him.

    DisAgree Agree [13] Reply Report Abuse

  • David Pais, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    everywhere in bjp brhasta jumla ponds

    DisAgree [3] Agree [25] Reply Report Abuse

  • Mark Dcruz, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    I truly agree what reddy said.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Stand4truth, IXE/DXB

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    yenchina awasthe maaree.. when it comes to politics... pooraa kanakee. Asht ashte.. now everyone remembers and reminds about BASAVANNA.. dhaala pndh sukha ijappaa.... enchin scene maare.... BASAVANA panthina leka enchina aamdala mantinda aathu... peace

    DisAgree [3] Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Ansaf., Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    Hypocrisy....and poor lady got no clue why and what he is speaking about .
    And why our PM with MA degrees speaking in Hindi with British PM.
    Is he speaking to British PM or Indian media......?

    DisAgree [2] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Declan, Mumbai

    Thu, Apr 19 2018

    Both do not understand each other's accent. So looking at each other and giggling.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [14] Reply Report Abuse

  • Deva, Pilar

    Wed, Apr 18 2018

    Yes correctly said ..congress & BJP both remember Basaveshwara because of Karnataka Election ...shameless politics..ek se badkar ek... our Karnataka mahan...

    DisAgree [1] Agree [27] Reply Report Abuse

  • JK, southkanara

    Wed, Apr 18 2018

    Ellarigu Basaveshwara hedde malpad..... hedde budhi koraad....

    DisAgree Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse


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Title: All for votes? BJP, Congress leaders remember Basaveshwara; Amit Shah faces protest



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