Vijayapura (Karnataka), April 19 (NationPress) Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, announced on Saturday that all seven Cabinet ministers from the Lingayat community are in agreement regarding the caste census report.

Addressing reporters in Vijayapura, Minister Patil stated, “All seven ministers from the Lingayat community — Eshwar Khandre, Sharan Prakash Patil, Laxmi Hebbalkar, Sharanbasappa Darshanapur, Shivanand Patil, H.K. Patil, and myself — convened with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, engaged in discussions, and subsequently participated in a special Cabinet meeting on April 17 to review the caste census report.

“We intend to meet the Chief Minister again to present our requests regarding the caste census. There is no division among us. We are united,” he emphasized.

When queried about alleged disputes between him and Ministers Shivanand Patil and Eshwar Khandre, he replied, “Let me clarify — we all gathered prior to the special Cabinet meeting and discussed the census report, expressed our concerns, and deliberated on the way forward. We are united. The discussion is being exaggerated.”

Minister Patil added that it was merely a minor disagreement.

He noted that Minister Shivanand Patil had remarked that the Congress party faced a setback when it previously proposed a separate religion for Lingayats.

However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah quickly interjected and clarified that this was not the case. “The CM stated if that were true, how could I have won by such a significant margin?” Patil recounted.

“The CM mentioned I was elected with a margin of 30,000 votes,” he said.

“You (media) are aware that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and various notable seers campaigned against me in my constituency. Yet, I emerged victorious,” he asserted.

Minister Eshwar Khandre acknowledged that the issue indeed resulted in a setback for the party. “I inquired why another leader from our community, who opposed the proposal for a distinct Lingayat religion and took part in protests, ultimately lost. The matter concluded there. It was merely a brief moment of tension,” he added.

In response to State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra’s criticism of the caste census, Minister Patil remarked that when Vijayendra's father, B.S. Yediyurappa, was Chief Minister, certain sub-castes were included in Category 3B and subsequently removed within a month. “We are aware of their history,” he commented.

Regarding Vijayendra’s assertion that the caste census report would not be implemented even after four years, Minister Patil responded, “Vijayendra does not hold authority over the Congress party. Consult MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal — he can share more insights about Vijayendra.”

MLA Yatnal was expelled from the BJP for frequently criticizing Vijayendra.

When questioned about former Chief Minister and BJP MLA Jagadish Shettar’s claim that the Congress government would collapse in November, Minister Patil challenged Shettar’s political credibility.

“What is his situation now? He couldn’t even secure a ticket for the Assembly election as a former Chief Minister in the BJP party. We welcomed him into our party, provided him a ticket to contest, and after his loss, we made him an MLC. Then he returned to the BJP,” Patil explained.

Commenting on the sacred thread removal controversy, he stated, “Whoever was responsible for preventing students from wearing the sacred thread during exams acted out of personal bias. We strongly condemn this. Strict action will be taken against the individual. No specific religion or community should be targeted — it constitutes a serious mistake. Along with action against the staff member, I urge the relevant minister to amend the injustice done to the student.”