Vachananand Swami favours uniform quota for all Veerashaiva Lingayat sub-sects New

Seer of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Jagadguru Peetha at Harihar Sri Vachananand Swami has emphasised the need for implementing uniform reservation policy for all sub-sects of Veerashaiva Lingayat as then only the community members will get a feeling of being one.

Addressing a press conference in Hubballi on Tuesday, the seer asked how will the community remain united if members of only a few sub-sects get reservation benefits and the others remain deprived.

To decide on the issue of how the community members should get their caste mentioned during the general census, a meeting of leaders of 18 districts in the State and over 80 seers will be convened shortly, he said.

The seer said that in the Central OBC list, Veerashaiva Lingayat community has been mentioned. “Earlier, there was no mention of the term Panchamasali in the State list. A gazette notification to the effect was issued when B.S. Yediyurappa was the Chief Minister,” he said.

On the issue of reservation for the community, he said that on the one hand, a series of agitations is being held and planned, while on the other, a legal battle is under way.

Vachanand Swami clarified that the community is against snatching reservation benefits of other communities. “Our fight is for social justice and it is our Constitutional right. In 10 States of the country, the percentage of reservation has been increased and we are also seeking the same,” he said.

On the Dharmasthala issue, he said that systematic attacks are being made on Hindu religion. He said that the developments smelled of a conspiracy and he will stand in support of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari as he has initiated several society-oriented works.