The decision of the Kudala Sangama Panchamasali Peetha Trust to find an alternative seer has come under fire from some community leaders.

The former Minister C.C. Patil has criticised the announcement by MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar that the trust is planning to change the seer Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjay Swami.

He was speaking after meeting the seer who is undergoing treatment in Bagalkot.

“Mr. Kashappanavar is making such a statement with a political agenda. He wants to become a Minister. He wants to please Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and gain sympathy of the ruling party by making such a statement,” he said.

“If Mr. Kashappanavar, a Panchamasali leader, becomes a Minister, we will be very happy. However, he should not achieve that goal by sacrificing the community’s interests. If our pressure on the Chief Minister will help him become a Minister, We are willing to appeal to the Chief Minister,” Mr. Patil said.

“Mr. Kashappanvar or those community leaders making such statement should realise that the people of the State are watching all these developments. And, Mr. Kashappanavar is not speaking in logical terms. He is acting as if has lost his mental balance,” Mr. Patil said.

“The power he is enjoying now is not permanent. The people who vote you to power can easily change their mind. No leader, including me, should ever forget this. We are firmly behind the seer. I also appeal to Mr. Kashappanavar to support the seer and drop plans of either replacing the swami or of establishing a new peetha for the community,” Mr. Patil said.

He said that Mr. Kashappanavar has made no contribution towards establishing the peetha. The former Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa and Sadananda Gowda and the former Minister Murugesh Nirani have supported the institution and not Mr. Kashappanavar. He should realise this, Mr. Patil said.

He also said that Mr. Kashappanavar sought the help of the seer for his personal political gains like election campaigns and for getting party ticket for his wife.

The former MP Ramesh Katti also met the seer. He expressed dissatisfaction with Mr. Kashappanavar for the announcement. He said that such a statement is unbecoming of an MLA who is a Panchamasali community leader and head of a trust.

Vijayapura district Pancha Sena president Santosh Manjanni also criticised Mr. Kashappanavar and demanded that he tender a public apology to the seer and the community.