Shivashankarappa’s statement sets off murmurs over postings to Veerashaiva-Lingayats

Are Congress Ministers and MLAs divided over providing prominent postings to officials belonging to Lingayat-Veerashaiva community in the government? Speculation around this question has been set off after veteran Congress leader and All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa claimed at a function in Bengaluru that civil servants belonging to the community had been given a “raw deal”.

Are Congress Ministers and MLAs divided over providing prominent postings to officials belonging to Lingayat-Veerashaiva community in the government? Speculation around this question has been set off after veteran Congress leader and All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa claimed at a function in Bengaluru that civil servants belonging to the community had been given a “raw deal”.

A couple of Ministers have reportedly acknowledged this so-called “injustice”, while other Ministers said there is no substance to the claim. Mr. Siddaramaiah himself on Saturday said there are seven Ministers belonging to the community in his government and “social justice is provided to all castes and communities” in his government.

However, a leader of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha claimed that Industries Minister M.B. Patil and Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil had conceded that officials belonging to the community have been denied prominent positions. Both Ministers promised to convene a meeting to resolve the issue, the leader told The Hindu. Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar too admitted to sidelining of the community, he claimed.

Sources in the mahasabha said the officers either belonging to the IAS or KAS cadres have been given non-executive and “less significant” posts. For instance, the mahasabha leader said IPS officer S.D. Sharanappa has been posted as DIG Railways, which is a less prominent post. Earlier, he was the Joint Commissioner of Police, CCB. The community has 107 officials, including IAS, IPS, IRS, and KAS. But plum positions have been denied to these officers, the source claimed, and said there were none in high positions in BBMP or BDA.

However, several Ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet have denied these claims. Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Agriculture Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy defended Mr. Siddaramaiah’s decision on postings.

Speaking to reporters in Kolar, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy said: “Postings are given on the basis of merit and not caste. Not a single official is sidelined. Mr. Shivashankarappa is a senior leader and if any such instances are there then he can discuss the issue directly with the Chief Minister.”

Mr. Parameshwara said: “We are not giving postings to officials on the basis of caste. It is given to officers who are efficient, sincere, and committed to deliver government programmes to people... Postings are not done on the basis of caste factor.”