Karna cabinet meet to discuss Lingayat religion tag deferred

The Karnataka cabinet meeting that was to discuss today the contentious issue of considering Lingayat/Veerashaiva as a separate religion has been postponed, officials said.

Officials at the Chief Minister's Office confirmed the postponement, but did not cite any reason for it.

The cabinet on March 8 had discussed the issue inconclusively, amidst reports of differences between Ministers belonging to both Veerashaiva and Lingayat faiths.

Rejecting suggestions that were factions within the cabinet on it, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had yesterday said "we will discuss tomorrow (in the cabinet meeting)."
Karnataka State Minorities Commission had formed a seven-member committee, headed by retired High Court Judge H NNagamohan Das on the issue, which submitted its report on March 2 stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be consideredas religious minority."