Congress made a big mistake by proposing religion tag for Lingayats: DK Shivakumar

The Congress virtually shot itself in the foot when senior party leader and Karnataka water resource minister DK Shivakumar admitted that his party committed a "major blunder" by recommending religious minority status for the Lingayat community in the run-up to the May 12 assembly polls.

He sought pardon from people and said politics in the name of religion was unacceptable.

This has left many in the party embarrassed and redfaced especially when the Lok Sabha polls are just months away.

The open admission gives a potential weapon to the opposition BJP to attack the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The saffron party had accused the previous Siddaramiah-led government of dividing society to draw political mileage.

The previous Siddaramaiah government's gamble to play the Lingayat card with a religious minority tag turned out to be a costly misadventure electorally, leaving Congress poorer in terms of assembly seats.

Shivakumar made the admission during the 'Dasara Sammelan', organised by the Rambhapuri Seer Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swamiat Gadag Wednesday.

"Our government in Karnataka committed a major blunder. I won't say we did not commit it. We the people in politics and in government should never ever lay hands on the matter pertaining to religion and caste. It was a crime committed by our government," he said.

He even admitted that the Congress' poor show in the assembly election was proof that people did not like the move.

"I would like to say that the people's verdict (assembly elections) is proof that no government should never ever lay hands in religious matter," Shivakumar said.

"We beg your pardon for the blunder committed by our government. Please pardon us wholeheartedly .... ," he said.

Rambhapuri seer had opposed the move to accord religion status to Lingayat as it did not incorporate Veerashaivas in it.