Yediyurappa remark shows Lingayats are disowning POCSO case-tainted seer

The police investigation into the child sexual harassment case against Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana, the seer of Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Mutt, is revealing more details, tightening the noose around him.

The mutt, which has lakhs of Lingayat devotees, has political clout, preventing political parties from making any adverse statements against the seer after the case was booked. But the startling revelations against him in the sexual harassment cases and his alleged cruelty against minor girls seem to have made the Lingayats abandon him.

Lingayats distance themselves from seer

Prominent Lingayat leader and former Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa is said to have supported the mutt when he was in power. When the BJP was trying to replace Yediyurappa as the CM, Shivamurthy Sharana and other Lingayat seers had backed Yediyurappa, asking the BJP high command not to do so.

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Yediyurappa had avoided making statements against the seer after the latter was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case. He had only said the “the law would take its course” and that it looked like “a false allegation” and that the seer would “get a clean chit after the investigation.”

However, he has now taken a tough stand against the seer. On November 8, he said in Udupi that Murugha seer Dr Shivamurthy had committed “an unforgivable offence.” “The whole world knows that the seer has committed an unforgivable offence. No one expected him to commit such mistakes and go to this level. Everyone must condemn his actions, and he should be punished severely,” Yediyurappa said.

Yediyurappa’s statement indicates the Lingayat community is now distancing itself from the seer. They have now understood that the seer committed grave crimes. As the Lingayat community moves away from the seer to find a new seer in his place, Yediyurappa’s statement reflects their opinion, said a source in the mutt.

“BSY’s statement represents Lingayat view”

A seer at the Lingayat mutt told The Federal that Yediyurappa’s statement represented the community’s view. “When the case was booked against the seer, most devotees felt that he had been falsely implicated because of the mutt’s internal politics to replace him. But after the investigation revealed that he may have committed heinous crimes against innocent children, devotees are not supporting him,” he said.

He claimed a rift between the senior mutt seers might have been the reason for the exposure of the crimes. “But if he indeed committed those crimes, no civilized society can support it. And it’s a message for all religious leaders to maintain a certain level of dignity, being the heads of such great institutions,” he added.

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Even though Yediyurappa’s statement indicated that Lingayats are keeping the seer away from “power politics,” no other political party has commented on the issue in fear of antagonising the Lingayat community, as it could prove costly in the upcoming polls. The Congress, JDS, and even BJP still believe that it will harm them in getting Lingayat votes.

The seer was arrested during the BJP regime, and the Opposition parties wanted to take advantage of the situation to seize the Lingayat votes. But Yediyurappa’s statement has come as a huge blow to them, and the Congress in particular. His statement is an indirect message that Lingayats are united in the Murugha Mutt issue.

However, the Congress has declined to give any statement against the seer other than “a proper investigation should be done.”

Mutt may appoint new pontiff

It was always evident that the Murugha seer was a little far from the BJP politically, even though he supported BJP’s Lingayat leaders. He had close connections with the Congress. The latter lost the community’s support after it removed Veerendra Patil from the CM’s post in 1990. Since then, it has been trying hard to appease the Lingayats.

The seer seemed progressive in his actions and offered Linga Deeksha (an official ceremony inviting a person to the Lingayat sect of Basavanna) to thousands of people. In August this year, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi visited him, and the seer offered Linga Deeksha.

The Murugha seer was also known for offering Sanyasa Deeksha to several religious people from other communities and helping them create mutts for downtrodden communities to give them social status. That is said to have irked some powerful mutts, which always maintained distance from him. Many progressive leaders and thinkers are associated with him. At the same time, other leaders were in touch with him with an eye on the mutt’s huge support base.

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But a Lingayat leader and an admirer of the seer said the sexual harassment cases were a big blow to the faith devotees had in him. Now, no one will support him.

The government is now considering appointing an administrator for the mutt, as it has huge assets, including educational institutions. Basavaprabhu, the pontiff of the Virakta mutt, was given charge of the Murugha Mutt as well following Shivamurthy Sharana’s arrest. The Mutt board is thinking about appointing a permanent pontiff. All political parties are watching the developments closely, as they need the mutt’s support in the coming assembly elections.