Senior Congress leader Jaffer Sharief has dubbed the Congress Lingayat card a ‘political stunt’ and stated that no one could ‘fool them’ by trying to divide them. He also stated that the move which saw the Congress government in Karnataka recommend a minority tag for the Lingayat community will not succeed at polls.

Senior Congress leader Jaffer Sharief speaking to @madhavgk says minority religion tag given by Congress to Lingayats is a stunt #CongLingayatSelfGoalpic.twitter.com/7pT5TTDxT3 — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 31, 2018

The Congress leader also complimented the contribution to society made by the Lingayat community and the organizational framework the community has established for itself through its network of Muths and spiritual leaders. He reiterated that no one could divide them with such a move.

Sudhanshu Trivedi, the spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party, accused the Congress party of trying to retain power by sowing seeds of division in the country.

Congress has divided the country for the sake of power and continues with the policy of ‘divide and rule’: @SudhanshuTrived, National Spokesperson, BJP #CongLingayatSelfGoal — TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 31, 2018

Earlier, the Veershaiva Mahasabha had rejected the minority tag recommended by the Karnataka government and dubbed the decision a ‘height of injustice’. The minority tag is believed to have been recommended by the Congress government to cut into the Lingayat vote-base of the BJP.