In Lingayat outreach ahead of polls, Rahul invokes Basavanna to slam PM Modi, BJP govt in K'taka

Vijayapura (Karnataka): During his campaign in the Lingayat-dominated North Karnataka on Sunday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi invoked 12th century poet and social reformer Basavanna, in his tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP government in the state.

Gandhi offered obeisance to Basavanna at Kudala Sangama in Bagalkote on his birth anniversary remembering the social reformer for laying the foundation for democracy and rights in the country.

Gandhi is on a two-day visit to the state and was addressing a huge public gathering here on Sunday. It is also his first public meeting after vacating his bungalow in the national capital.

The visit is seen as an attempt by the Congress to boost its Lingayat outreach ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in the state. Lingayats are a dominant community constituting about 17% of the state’s population, largely seen as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s vote bank.

Gandhi said that while the medieval era reformer had propounded social equality and helped the needy, the Prime Minister was befriending business tycoon Gautam Adani, who is rich and wealthy.

“Basavanna did not leave the path of truth throughout his life and spoke truth without any fear. It is not easy to speak the truth before society. Despite threats, Basavanna did not deviate from the path of truth and questioned bad practices in the society, so he is respected till today,” Gandhi said.

In Hubballi, Gandhi also met former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who recently joined the party after being denied a ticket by the BJP in the elections. Shettar was one of the prominent Lingayat leaders in the BJP alongside former chief minister BS Yediyurappa.

Gandhi who was disqualified from Lok Sabha, and later vacated his official residence, said that he would continue to speak the truth.

"When I questioned about the Prime Minister's relationship with Adani, they erased my speech from the Lok Sabha records, but the Lok Sabha is not the only place where I can speak the truth. I can speak the truth everywhere, even here, in front of you," he said.

He also criticised the BJP government in the state over corruption issues. He said that the Prime Minister and BJP speak of Basavanna but do not practice his values. “The BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk about Basavanna, but don’t act according to his ideals. Basavanna said to help the downtrodden, not the big industrialists. I’ve read his teachings. He has never written that the country’s wealth be given to Adani,” Gandhi said.

"This government was not elected by the people. They just purchased MLAs and formed the government. But this time, they will not get the chance because Congress will win 150 seats and this 40 percent BJP government will get only 40 seats," Rahul Gandhi said.

Stating that the previous UPA government at the Centre had prepared a caste-based survey, Rahul Gandhi challenged the Prime Minister to release its findings to the public.

Gandhi also held a massive roadshow in Vijayapura on Sunday, waving at a large, enthusiastic crowd that had lined up on both sides of the route.

Kudala Sangama, situated at the confluence of the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers in Bagalakote district, is a pilgrim centre and is the site of the Aikya Mantapa, or the holy samadhi of Basaveshwara, popularly known as Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat sect, along with a linga, which is believed to be self-born.

On his arrival in Hubballi from Delhi, the former Congress president travelled to Kudala Sangama by helicopter for the visit to Sangamanatha temple and of the Aikya Linga.

He was accompanied by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, former chief minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress campaign committee chief M B Patil and other leaders. Gandhi later participated in the Basava Jayanti celebrations. Seers from several Lingayat mutts were present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, BY Vijayendra, BJP’s candidate from Shikaripura constituency in Shivamogga district and son of Yediyurappa, hit out at Gandhi on Sunday for seeking the support of Lingayats only during elections. He said that unless Gandhi’s visit is to repent for past misdeeds, his hypocrisy is well known.

“What is with Congress & its new unfound love & respect for Lingayats during elections? Where was this affection when Veerendra Patil or Nijalingappa were humiliated in past? Did you conveniently forget Anna Basavanna & his teachings while trying to divide Veerashaiva Lingayats?” Vijayendra tweeted.

“Congress under Veerendra Patil had won with a huge majority of 178 seats in 1989 elections. But the arrogance & disdain of Cong leadership towards a hugely popular Lingayat CM cost them dearly & rightfully relegated to negligence in subsequent elections. Congress is fighting for survival & hanging by a thin thread in the state of Karnataka. They seemed to have lost all hope in 2023 & hence desperately trying all dubious methods,” he further said in his tweets.

The ruling BJP and the opposition Congress have been involved in a tug-of-war over naming a Lingayat chief minister in the state. On Saturday, opposition leader Siddaramaiah accused Bommai, also a Lingayat, as the “root of all the corruption in the state.”

The BJP in turn, accused Siddaramaiah of insulting the entire Lingayat community. However, Siddaramaiah later clarified that his comment was aimed only at the chief minister.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 to elect a new assembly and the counting will be done on May 13.