Bengaluru, May 4 -- Forces that promote violence in the name of religion have emerged, and if the 12th-century social reformer Basavanna's principles are followed, solutions to all their problems can be found, said former Karnataka Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai.

He was speaking while presiding over the Basava Jayanthi celebration and the Basavashree and Vachana Sahitya Shree awards ceremony organized by Basava Vedike at Ravindra Kalakshetra. He described Basavanna as a "wonderful personality."

He said, "If someone claims to have completely understood Basavanna, it means they have yet to attain true understanding. Basavanna was relevant in his time and remains relevant today. In one dimension, he spoke about the then-existing re...