Tumkur: When Rajiv Gandhi removed Lingayat leader Veerendra Patil as CM chosen by all other parties and leaders unanimously, about 30 years ago, Siddaganga Mutt seer Shivakumara Swamiji kept-his distance from Congress studiosly, as it was so sudden.

To make up for such a mishap, Rajiv’s wife Sonia Gandhi attended on Saturday at 11 o’Clock before noon, the 105th birthday celebrations and praised the centenarian in glowing words for the work done in educational field, and for humanitarian purposes like poor feeding.

She took note of the services rendered by the Lingayat Guru on the basis of Basavanna’s teachings. She extolled him for the great contributions made towards spiritual and educational fields in Karnataka, where alone Lingayat sect prospers in India since 8 centuries.

Sonia came to Tumkur from Bangalore airport in a helicopter, after visiting select drought areas of Mola Kalmuru taluka for an hour.