Religious minority status to Lingayats recommended by Karnataka

New Delhi, April 5: The Home Ministry has forwarded the Karnataka government's recommendation to grant religious minority status to the Lingayats to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, saying the issue is beyond its jurisdiction, an official said on Thursday.

"The proposal to grant the minority status on Lingayats and Veerashaivas in Karnataka has been sent to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The matter is now being dealt by it," the Home Ministry official said.

The Home Ministry had put up the proposal to the Registrar General and Census Commissioner for detailed examination and suggestions and it was later decided to sent it to the Minority Affairs Ministry, he added.

The official said the issue was "beyond the MHA jurisdiction and hence was forwarded to the Ministry of Minorities Affairs, which is the competent authority to take a decision."