New Delhi: Documents exposes the dual policy of National Parties, Congress and BJP. As they are locked in a battle to succeed in politics, the Karanataka community of Lingayat’s demand for recognition as a separate religion have found the two parties of hypocrisy and double standard approach.

The demand for separate religion status was approved for the Lingayat community by the Congress-ruled Karanataka Government on Monday. But the result was fueling of a war on political front.

The BJP landed in the middle of this approval and claimed the Congress party of trying to play divisive politics just before the start of elections.

“The idea of #BreakingIndia by dividing Hindu Religion is the brainchild of Sonia Gandhi which has been cunningly executed by @siddaramaiah who is an expert in “Divide & Rule” policy”, Tweeted BJP’s General Secretary in Karnataka, CT Ravi.

As #CongressDividesHindus to install an Incompetent Dynast as Prime Minister the Nation continues to suffer.

But in July 2013, BS Yeddyurappa, a BJP leader, who is currently party’s chief ministerial candidate, and also was signatory to a petition by the All India Lingayat-Veerashaiva Mahasabha addressing to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanded the Lingayat community to be recognized as an “independent religion”.

BJP spokespersons told in an interview that the claim of Mr Yeddyurappa that he was member of the party when he signed the petition is false.

The Congress refuted the claim of BJP that it has taken the decision foreseeing the upcoming elections.

But the then Congress-led government at the Centre rejected the demand of Lingayat Community through a letter by the union home ministry in 2013.

“Veerashaiva/Lingayats are a sect of the Hindus and not an independent religion”, the letter read, adding the reason that the demand was not based on “logical grounds”.

MB Patil, a Karnataka minister has been the forefront leader in demanding  the status of separate religion for Lingayats. He sought to clarify the stand by saying “There are two types of Veerashaivas with us. One believes in Basveswara and the other is a sub-sect of Lingayat,”. He asserted that the then Congress response was based on technical error.

But the fact is that the letter issued by the union ministry under Congress Party rule has clearly stated that they are “Veerashaiva-Lingayat”.

The adherents of lingayatism  are known as Lingayats. Both the terms used as reference for their community, Lingayatism and Lingayats are the derivatives of the Kannada word ‘Lingavanta’. In history they are referred as Virashaivas. The term Lingayats came to be used only during the British rule in India.

So based on some evidence, they are trying to make a demand with the government to be called as a separate religion apart from Hinduism.