'Lingayat not religion' remark sparks BJP-Congress face-off in Karnataka

A controversy escalates in Karnataka over a survey following a statement from Chief Minister Siddharamaiah's economic advisor, Basavaraj Reddy. Reddy claimed that “Lingayat is not a religion or a caste and that it is an ideology-based movement,” also adding that Hinduism was a culture. The statement drew sharp attacks from the BJP, which accused the Siddharamaiah government of pushing an agenda to divide Hindus and the Veerasheva Lingayat community. The BJP alleges the socio-economic survey is a tool for this division. A BJP leader stated, "the agenda of Sidramayya government is to divide Hindu religion." The party is concerned that certain options in the survey are designed to split the community, a charge central to the escalating political and social tensions in the state.