Seer of Lingayat Mutt in Gundlupet steps down after devotees learn of his religious background
Chamarajnagar: A young Lingayat seer heading the Gurumalleshwara Dasoha Mutt in Chowdahalli, Gundlupet taluk, was compelled to leave his position after his Muslim background came to light and the villagers objected to his appointment.
The 22-year-old seer, Nijalinga Swamy, had taken charge of the Mutt one-and-a-half months ago.
The seer was born into a Muslim family as Mohammad Nasir in Shahapur village of Yadgir district but, after being attracted by the principles of Basavanna at a young age, he took ‘deeksha’ (religious initiation) as Nijalinga Swamy at a Shakha Mutt. He headed the Mutt in Basavakalyana in Bidar as suggested by a senior seer and held religious services as well as sermons.
On Friday, August 1, however, a devotee of the Mutt found Nijalinga Swamy’s Aadhaar card details in his mobile phone and informed the village residents of the seer’s background. When questioned, the seer told the villagers that he was born into a different religion but took ‘deeksha’ in 2021 as he was attracted by the teachings of Basavanna.
The villagers, who were upset that the seer had not revealed his background while taking charge of the Mutt, demanded that he step down as head of the Mutt.
Gundlupet Police Inspector Jayakumar and constables arrived at Chowdahalli and spoke to the villagers as well as the seer, who agreed to step down if the villagers objected to his heading the Mutt. He is also learned to have returned to his native place after the incident in Gundlupet.
Officials who probed the matter have found documents relating to his taking ‘deeksha’, participating in a religious event with other seers and also his background.
Mahadeva Prasad, a native of Chowdahalli who currently lives in Australia, had provided land and financial aid to build the Gurumalleshwara Dasoha Mutt, which was established a year ago. The Mutt was initially headed by Akkamahadevi Mathaji, who stepped down for personal reasons, after which, Nijalinga Swamy took charge of the Mutt.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
K'taka remains central to Aequs' strategy, says min Patil amid row over firm's investment in TN
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister M B Patil on Monday asserted that Aequs continues to expand in the state and that its proposed investment in neighbouring Tamil Nadu was a business decision aimed at diversification, not a shift away from Karnataka.
Reacting to criticism on social media over reports that the Karnataka-based firm had signed a major investment deal in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri district for setting up a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster, he said the state government was fully aware of the company's plans and remained confident about its long-term commitment to Karnataka.
"While we welcome every major investment in India, would like to clarify a few points," Patil said in a post on 'X'.
Aequs was significantly expanding its footprint within Karnataka, including a Rs 3,000 crore investment in Kolar for electronics manufacturing.
"Its recently approved Rs 1,500 crore ECMS project will also be grounded in the state. Karnataka remains central to its long-term strategy," he said.
Patil added that the government had prior knowledge of the TN proposal.
The government was already informed and aware that the TN investment is a business decision aimed at geographic diversification and de-risking operations, not a shift away from Karnataka.
"Healthy competition between states strengthens India's manufacturing ecosystem," he said.
Emphasising the state's focus on high-technology sectors, Patil said, "We remain committed to deepening Karnataka's leadership in aerospace and advanced manufacturing, and our engagement with industry partners is strong and ongoing."
The Aequs Group has pledged Rs 4,000 crore to bolster Tamil Nadu's aerospace manufacturing capabilities at the SIPCOT-Shoolagiri Industrial Park in Krishnagiri district.
The group proposes to establish a specialised aerospace and defense manufacturing cluster for the production of aircraft engines, gearbox components, and precision engineering parts. This initiative is expected to provide employment to 7,000 individuals.
