FIR filed against Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami’s men after Panchamasali gates forcefully opened

BAGALKOT: An FIR has been registered against seven followers of Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami of the Panchamasali Peetha at Kudalasangama in Hungund taluk after they alleged broke open the locks on the gates of the math and entered inside. The gates had been locked when the seer was not inside the math.

Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami has been in the forefront of an agitation to demand 2A reservation for Veerashaiva Lingayats. However, he has been at loggerheads with MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, who is also the president of the Panchamasali Peetha trust.

It is believed that Vijayanand Kashappanavar got the gates installed at the math and locked them when the seer was away. Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami’s devotees asked the manager Chandrashekar Chittaragi for the keys, and when he refused, they broke open the locks and entered the math.

Based on Chandrashekar complaint alleging threat to life, an FIR has been filed against seven devotees of Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami. The manager said Kashappanavar had directed that no illegal activities should be allowed in the math and hence gates and locks were installed.

On Tuesday, Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami held a meeting with his devotees at the Basava Mantap in Hungund to discuss the way forward. “If you are all ready, I will come with you to the math, or else I will stay at the house of a devotee in Hungund itself”, he said.

The issue has blown up into a major controversy with Panchamasali leader like former minister C C Patil and BJP MLA Aravind Bellad condemning the attitude of Vijayanand Kashappanavar. The shadow boxing between political leaders and Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swami is likely to cast its shadow on the agitation for 2A reservation.