Basaveshwara on top of the mind for all parties, leaders on Jayanti ahead of polls

Today, on the sacred occasion of Basava Jayanthi, I bow to Jagadguru Basaveshwara, whose thoughts and ideals give us the inspiration to serve humanity. He rightly emphasised on empowering the downtrodden and building a strong and prosperous society. pic.twitter.com/tmEWfBEeQU

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 23, 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the reformer’s “liberal thought of seeing divinity in every living being” will “guide our journey towards Indian democratic values & social service”.

Reacting to Modi’s tweet, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who is also from Karnataka, said the PM was following Basavanna’s humanistic principles in charting a “new commentary for India”.

“It is a matter of pride for all of us that he is writing a new commentary for the development of India with the inspiration of Mr. Basavanna’s humanistic principles. We are all committed to building a beautiful society under his leadership,” he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to Karnataka, said: “Guru Basavanna ji’s life personified brotherhood & compassion. He worked tirelessly for justice & dignity for all. His teachings lie at the foundation of our democracy.” Rahul paid obeisance to Basaveshwara at his resting place in Kudala Sangama on Sunday.

Later in the day, in his speech after visiting Kudala Sangama, Gandhi said: “Basava ji gave the path of democracy to India and the world and this is the truth. It cannot be erased. If democracy came in India, if rights came, then its foundation was laid by people like Basava ji. When there was darkness in the society, then Basava ji came out like a light in the darkness.”

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi said: “On the occasion of #BasavaJayanti, let’s celebrate the legacy of a great philosopher & social reformer who stood for social equality & a life free from social discrimination. Let’s take inspiration from his teachings & work towards building a more just and compassionate society.”

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai, who is a Lingayat, paid his tributes to the effigy of Sri Jagajyoti Basaveshwara in front of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

Veteran Karnataka BJP leader B S Yediyurappa, who is considered to have consolidated the Lingayat vote base for the BJP, tweeted: “On the birth anniversary of Jagajyoti Anna Basavanna, the great social reformer, Bhakti Bhandari, who brought about a social, religious and spiritual revolution in this land in the 12th century, infinite salutations to that great man of the age.

“On the birth anniversary of Jagajyoti Sri Basavanna, who raised awareness about human rights in the 12th century through his vows, I pay infinite tributes. Basavanna’s deeds and life lessons are always exemplary,” KPCC president D K Shivakumar said in a Kannada tweet.

Former Karnataka Chief Minister and a Lingayat leader, Jagadish Shettar, who recently joined the Congress from the BJP, quoted Basaveshwara in a Kannada tweet. “Don’t steal, don’t kill, don’t pretend, don’t cheat, don’t hate others. Don’t color yourself. This is inner purity, this is purity. This is the part that makes us happy,” he said.

Basavanna’s movement in the 12th century is considered to have helped sections of society break away from the chains of caste. The Lingayats, a Hindu Shaivite community, deify Basavanna. The Lingayats are a dominant group in Karnataka, said to be about 17 per cent of the population in the state.