The Lingayat community has upped the ante in connection with its demand for minority status. They have planned a sit-in agitation in front of Kolhapur district guardian minister Chandrakant Patil's house from August 16.A decision to this effect was taken by the Lingayat Samanvay Samiti formed to press for their demands.Leaders claimed that before coming to power, Devendra Fadnavis , who was then the Maharashtra BJP chief, had assured that their demands would be met once the party came to power. In January, hundreds of Lingayats marched to the district collectors office to submit the demand."It has been four years since we got the assurance. We have repeatedly told the Maharashtra government that our demand for a separate religion status is genuine. We are now going to launch a sit-in protest outside guardian minister Chandrakant Patil's house from August 16," said Sarla Patil, regional head of the committee. Patil said the Lingayats from across the state would arrive in the city to participate in the protest. A similar demand made by the Lingayats from Karnataka was accepted by the government. However, during the assembly elections campaign there, BJP claimed that the demand would divide the society. "We have already given petitions of our demand to the state government. It has ten days to take a decision," said Patil.

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