Vijayapura, Aug 03, 2019: Senior Congress leader and former minister M B Patil has taken strong exception to the statement of the Pejawar Seer Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji calling for an open debate on creating separate Lingayat religion.
"Is the seer a prime minister or a chief minister for us to go to the place where he suggests?," the Congress leader fumed while speaking to reporters here on Friday.
The Pejawar seer should first set right the anomalies in his own mutt, let him appoint a Dalit or Lingayat pontiff to the Mutt, he challenged.
Speaking to reporters at Mysuru recently, the Pejawar seer had said that all those who worship Lord Shiva were Hindus. He further had even challenged M B Patil, Sanehalli Panditaradhya Swamiji and others who are advocators of separate Lingayat Dharma, for an open debate.