Include sub-castes in OBC list: Veerashaiva-Lingayat seers

A forum of Veerashaiva-Lingayat seers from several mutts have demanded the Union government to include all sub-castes of the community to the central list of Other Backward Communities. 

Addressing a press meet in Bengaluru on Friday, the seers said that there were more than 90 plus sub-castes in Veerashaiva Lingayat community in Karnataka and the government has included only 16 of them in the central list. 

“We have been demanding the inclusion in central list for almost a decade now. We will be compelled to launch an agitation if the Union government does not act now,” said Channasiddarama Panditaradhya swami of Srisaila Peetha.

Referring to Chinnappa Reddy Commission report, Chandrashekara Shivacharya swami of Kashi Peetha said, “The commission submitted a report identifying sub-castes based on their profession and also on their socio-economic and educational status. As stated in the report, the sub-castes of the community are in distress.”