Lingayat seer challenges CM Bommai to remove non-Hindu religious centre

Team Udayavani, Sep 19, 2021, 9:59 AM IST

Hubballi: Amid the row over temple demolition, Lingayat seer Dingaleshwara Swamiji on Saturday dared Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to remove a religious centre built illegally in his Shiggaon assembly constituency.

“The Chief Minister has saved a religious centre belonging to a religion other than Hindu in his Shiggaov constituency. If he is really concerned about the Supreme Court orders, let him take action here. The religious centre is located near Bankapura on Puna-Bengaluru highway,” Dingaleshwara Swamiji stated.

His remarks came in the backdrop of the demolition of a temple in Mysuru district violating Supreme Court orders.

The seer added that the work on the double-lane road has been stopped as there is a religious centre and the officers have been directed not to touch that centre.

“You have different rules for Hindu temples, Veerashaiva Mutts. If you are concerned about removing religious places, you should be taking action here,” he told Bommai.

Following the backlash from his own party men and others, CM Bommai has stayed the demolition drive until further orders.

Meanwhile, the High Court of Karnataka has taken suo moto notice of the developments in connection with the demolition drive of religious places and registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The divisional bench headed by acting Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma has posted the matter for October 4 as the Karnataka government has sought time to place its arguments.

Bommai has stated that the government has issued notices to the Mysuru District Commissioner and Tehsildar for demolishing a temple without taking the locals into confidence. “We are very serious about this issue. We will find a solution sooner to protect our temples and identity,” he said.

The Hindu Jagaran Vedike has warned that if action is not taken against the officers responsible for the temple demolition in Mysuru, they would take out a protest march to the residence of Bommai. The ruling BJP is in consultation with the BJP high command over the issue and contemplating filing an affidavit on the Supreme Court order to remove religious centres that have come up on public properties.

With IANS inputs