UPA had denied separate religion tag to Lingayat in 2013

The UPA regime in 2013 had rejected a proposal by the All India Veershaiva Mahasabha to grant religious minority status to Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayats on the grounds that they were a sect of Hindus and not an independent religion.

The Mahasabha had sought a separate code number or a column or abbreviation recording the religion of Veerashaiva Lingayat in the census form and demanded that the community be recognised as an independent religion.

The Union home ministry had said if Veershaiva-Lingayats are treated as a separate religion from Hindus, all SCs of the sect would lose their constitutional status.


The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/ Lingayat faiths has surfaced from the numerically strong and politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

One section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same.

The other group wants it only for Lingayats as they believe that Veerashaivas are one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.

The decision that is fraught with political implications is seen as an attempt by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to wean away a section of the community towards the Congress.

BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa hails from the Lingayat community.

The decision to give separate religion tag to Lingayat community is expected to have an impact on the upcoming elections as Veerashiva-Lingayats account for 17-18 per cent of the state's population.