K’taka: BJP announces indefinite protest from Sep 10 over internal reservation allotment

Bengaluru: The Karnataka unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced that it will stage an indefinite protest from September 10, objecting to the allotment of internal reservation by the Congress-led government in the state.

BJP State General Secretary and former legislator P. Rajeev made the announcement in this regard during a press conference here on Saturday,

Rajeev stated that following the implementation of internal reservation by the Congress-led state government, all communities have expressed dissatisfaction with this single policy. “We will launch indefinite protest. Until the police move us, we won’t budge,” he said.

The BJP leader said the government has done injustice to oppressed communities, left and right-hand communities, nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, and all other categories. “We will launch an indefinite protest at Freedom Park on September 10 against this. We will not withdraw from the protest until justice is achieved,” he warned.

He said Karnataka has 3,300 Lambani tandas (settlements), and people from each will participate in this agitation. Leaders of the Bhovi community have already held a preparatory meeting. Awareness programs have been conducted among these communities, he added.

Rajeev accused the government of creating confusion among all communities. The Justice Nagamohan Das Committee had recommended that three communities — Adi Dravida, Adi Andhra, and Adi Karnataka — be given special category status and provided exclusive benefits. Instead, the government has taken only a political decision.

“By saying that members of these communities could claim caste certificates either under Category 1 or Category 2, the government has effectively ensured that they cannot obtain certificates under either,” he alleged.

He further said that when the government itself is confused in its policies, it is clear how the officials will act. The Madhuswamy Committee had recommended 4.5 per cent reservation for Banjara, Bhovi, Koracha, and Korama communities, and an additional 1 per cent for about 59 nomadic castes.

“What did CM Siddaramaiah do? He clubbed both categories together, bringing 63 castes into a single bracket. Even if ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai’s earlier reservation allocations had been retained, these groups should have received 5.5 per cent. But the Siddaramaiah government reduced it to 5 per cent,” he charged.

Rajeev recalled that the Mysuru ruler Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had implemented reservation as far back as 1919 for six castes.

He said that B.R. Ambedkar had also included the same recommendation in the 5th Schedule. Later, the Congress expanded the SC list from 6 to 101 castes. “The Congress increased the number of castes, but not the percentage of reservation,” Rajeev criticised.

IANS