The Lingayat community constitutes 20 to 25 per cent of the total population in Karnataka.

After the demand for a separate state flag for Karnataka, the dominant Lingayat community in the state is seeking its own religious status.

Hundreds of Lingayats took to the streets in Bidar raising slogans in favour of an independent religious status for them. They were agitating particularly against those who argued that the Lingayats were neither a part of the Hindu religion nor a synonym for the Veerashaiva sect.

The Lingayat swamijis said that they would continue their struggle for a special religious status.

YEDDYURAPPA BELONGS TO LINGAYAT COMMUNITY

It is interesting to note that this demand comes just months before Karnataka goes to polls in 2018.

Some top BJP leaders, including state party president BS Yeddyurappa, belong to the Lingayat community.

The Lingayat community is a crucial votebank for the BJP, one that has given the party an edge over the others during elections.

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LINGAYATS Lingayats have been seeking a separate identity from Hinduism and have sought religious minority status. They have been a special religious status for more than a decade now. Lingayats constitute 20 to 25 per cent of the total population in Karnataka and are the largest community followed by the Vokkaligas. They are dominant in close to 100 out of the 224 assembly seats, mostly in north Karnataka, and there have been nine chief ministers from the community. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says he is ready to send a recommendation to the Centre seeking religious status for the community. If given a special independent status, the Lingayats will have reservation in education and employment and will also gain social security benefits which are made available to Jain communities and others. Siddaramaiah said that he was a staunch supporter of Basaveshwara, the 12th century saint-poet and social reformer, who was the man behind the foundation of the Lingayat community. Siddaramaiah said that the Lingayat community needed to submit a petition seeking special status. "I have not promised anything. The Lingayats need to come forward to me", the Karnataka chief minister said. Through this move, the BJP is likely to woo many voters, something that the Congress is wary of. Lingayats vote for their political leaders, most of whom are with the BJP.

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