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Time of India

Central census will benefit Veerashaiva Lingayat Community: Cong MLA

Davanagere : Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha president and Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa said the central govt's caste census will be beneficial for the Veerashaiva Lingayat community . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Addressing a felicitation programme organised by the district unit of the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha at SSM Hall in BIET College on Saturday, he criticised his own govt. He said the state govt is attempting to portray the Veerashaiva Lingayat community as a minority. "The census conducted by the central govt will help reveal our true numbers," he said. He further said there are over two crore Veerashaiva Lingayats in the state, but the state govt's caste census report claims the population is only 65 lakh. "The state govt is trying to show we are fewer in number to take away the govt benefits we receive. The Mahasabha will not allow this. We will bring all Veerashaiva Lingayats in the state together to demonstrate unity," Shamanur clarified. The senior Congress legislator said the central govt has announced it will conduct a caste census along with the population census. "It is said the central census will take another six months to a year. Meanwhile, the state govt seems to be in a hurry to implement the caste census report. The Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha and leaders of the Vokkaliga community have already held meetings and reached a consensus, and all leaders have agreed to the decisions made in the meeting," he added. Forest minister and national general secretary of the Mahasabha, Eshwar Khandre, said there is an ongoing unnecessary debate about Veerashaiva and Lingayat being different. "The Mahasabha has consistently maintained that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are not separate; they are the same. The community should remember that all who perform Linga worship are Lingayats," he said.