Lingayats protest in Delhi, want religious minority status

: Thousands of people belonging to the Lingayat community Wednesday gathered at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to demand declaration of Lingayat as a religious minority and its recognition as an independent religion.

The members, hailing from various states, said a memorandum declaring Lingayats as religious minority and issuing special order to record Lingayats in special column in forthcoming census, among others, will be submitted to PM Narendra Modi.

“Requisition for - Recognition of Lingayat religion as an independent religion, declaring Lingayats as religious minorities and issuing special order to record Lingayats in special column in forthcoming census (2021),” the memorandum said.

“It (Lingayat) is now at present considered as a caste in Hinduism because of ignorance. In certificates, it appears as Hindu Lingayat. Lingayatism is not a caste. It is an independent religion just like other religions,” Jagadguru Mate Mahadevi of Basava Dharma Peetha said.

“We want centre to give minority religious status to Lingayat community and extend facilities. We also want independent column for Lingayat in the forthcoming censes,” she said.

Several Lingayats from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu joined the protest.

NEW DELHI