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  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)