Lingayat seer dares K'taka CM to remove non-Hindu religious centre

Hubballi, Sep 18 (IANS) Lingayat seer Dingaleshwara Swamiji on Saturday said that if Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has the guts let him remove a religious centre built illegally in his Shiggaon assembly constituency.

Commenting on the demolition of a temple in Mysuru district violating Supreme Court orders, Dingaleshwara Swamiji said, "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," he stated.

Work on the double-lane road has been stopped as there is a religious centre. The officers have been instructed 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.

"Bommai has given a green signal for vacating temples all across the state, but, what is happening in your own constituency. We have all seen a non-Hindu religious centre right in the middle of the road. How many temples you have got demolished, how many other religious centres you have protected? What is the logic, philosophy behind it?" Dingaleshwara Swamiji questioned.

The temple demolition issue in the state is turning into a flashpoint between pro-Hindu outfits and the ruling BJP government. 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.