Bengaluru/Davangere: In a dramatic development, Basavajaya Mrutyunjaya Swamiji has been removed from the position of Panchamasali Peetha head at Kudalasangama. The decision was taken during a meeting of the Peetha’s governing trust, chaired by Neelakantha Asuti, after months of growing conflict between Swamiji and senior Panchamasali leaders including Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar.
The removal follows a series of complaints ranging from financial irregularities, neglect of trust directives, political controversies, and allegations of personal property dealings in Davangere and Bengaluru. The trust accused the Swamiji of distancing himself from the original mission of the Panchamasali movement, spending more time in political lobbying and Bengaluru’s power circles than with devotees.
For months, the rift between Swamiji and Kashappanavar had been widening. The MLA had openly warned that the trust would act if Swamiji continued defying its decisions. Matters escalated after a recent hospitalisation incident involving Swamiji, which sparked rumours of internal sabotage and deepened suspicions within the Peetha.
The Panchamasali reservation agitation had been the flashpoint of this feud. While Swamiji pushed aggressively against the Congress government to deliver 2A quota for the Panchamasali Lingayat community, Kashappanavar appeared more neutral, urging patience. This political difference snowballed into mistrust, eventually leading to Swamiji’s ouster.
The trust’s statement alleged that the Swamiji:
- Ignored collective decisions of the executive body.
- Amassed personal properties, straying from Lingayat principles.
- Aligned more with Hindutva political positions, alienating sections of the Panchamasali base.
- Failed to remain present at the Peetha, often operating from Bengaluru instead.
Swamiji’s removal has triggered heated debates within the Lingayat community, with some seeing it as a necessary correction to protect the sanctity of the Peetha, while others allege political interference by rival factions.
The Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peetha, originally established to champion the rights of the Panchamasali sub-sect within the Lingayat community, now finds itself at a crossroads. Devotees, who often follow the face of a Swamiji rather than the trust management, are left questioning the future direction of the mutt.
As one observer put it: “The crown belongs to the Peetha, but who wears it defines the faith of thousands.”
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