Lingayats could not be called Hindus !

Who killed Dr Malleshappa Kalburgi?

                             

Police say they are still investigating the motive for Sunday morning's killing. (click)

Two men arrived by motorcycle at the scholar's home in Dharwad in Karnataka state.

One knocked on his door, entered the house claiming to be Dr Kalburgi's student, had a brief conversation with the teacher

- then shot him dead and escaped on the waiting bike.

Police are exploring whether the killing is linked to last year's remarks by Dr Kalburgi  [color=navy][i]against idol worship,

which had angered right-wing Hindu groups.

Lingayatas, a middle caste :

comprise 12-14% of Karnataka's population, and dominate politics in the state -

most of the state's chief ministers have belonged to  the community, which are now also the Hindu nationalist BJP's

main support base....

Dr Kalburgi's killing comes two years after the :

murder of another prominent rationalist-thinker, Dr Narendra Dabholkar,(click)