Lingayat, Islam have common elements: Panditaradhya

He was speaking at a programme on Quran organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at Ta Ra Su Rangamandir, on Wednesday.

Chitradurga: Sri Taralabalu branch mutt pontiff Panditaradhya Shivacharya Swamiji has stirred a controversy by stating that Lingayat and Islam religions have common elements.

He was speaking at a programme on Quran organised by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at Ta Ra Su Rangamandir, here on Wednesday. He said though Lingayat and Islam are different religions, they share some common factors.

He said, Lingayat religion denies worship of multiple Gods and idol worship. But it advocates Istalinga puja. Similarly, Muhammed Paigambar, founder of Islam, has conveyed the same messages to people. Paigambar asked Muslims not to worship idols but mediate only Allah.

He said many people have promoted the theory of one God, many names. But People are still building walls between themselves and creating fences around themselves. So, rationalists must demolish such walls and barriers and develop the habit of loving one another.