Bengaluru: Senior Congress leader and All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha chief, India’s oldest 92-year-old Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who has been elected as MLA from Davangere South Constituency for the 6th consecutive time, said that Lingayatism is not Hindutva.
Speaking in an interview given to New Indian Express, He said that the people of the constituency have also blessed me.
There are many capable Lingayat leaders in our party. As such, I am not proposing their names for the post of CM. If I am given the post of CM, I will not say no. Who will say that I do not want the post of Chief Minister?
Giving corruption-free governance is our top priority; initially, we have been supporting the Lingayat Community Congress. This time the addition of Jagdish Shettar has definitely helped us, he said.
Further, he added, Lingayatism is not Hindutva; we do not agree with the BJP’s Hindutvaism. We are not followers of Hindu principles; we are followers of Basava Tatva. He said we were not Hindus.
