Siddaramaiah Rekindles Lingayat Debate, Congress Ministers In Face-Off

A fresh controversy has erupted in Karnataka after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Lingayats constitute a separate religion. The remark has reignited a long-dormant debate first raised in 2017 and has now led to a divide within the Congress party. Two senior ministers—MB Patil and Ishwar Khandre—have publicly disagreed over the Chief Minister’s statement, reflecting deep-seated differences within the influential Lingayat community. The issue once again places identity politics at the heart of Karnataka’s political discourse.