K’taka cabinet decides to provide internal reservation among SCs, CM to announce in Assembly today

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will make an announcement on the internal reservation for the 101 sub-castes within the Scheduled Castes community in the Karnataka Assembly on Wednesday.

The state cabinet held a special meeting on Tuesday night to discuss the report submitted by Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das on internal reservation. Sources confirmed that the meeting reached a consensus on the quota of reservation within the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil said after the meeting, “All the leaders have come out with happiness and satisfaction. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will make an announcement on the government’s decision in the session on Wednesday. Ministers K.H. Muniyappa, H.C. Mahadevappa, Shivaraj Tangadgi, and G. Parameshwara are happy.”

Food Minister K.H. Muniyappa stated, “We are not supposed to give media statements during the session. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will make a detailed statement on Wednesday. All 101 sub-castes under the Scheduled Caste community have been given social justice, and the decision has been taken in such a way that no group is subjected to injustice.”

Minister for Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadgi said, “A historic decision has been made in the special cabinet meeting. Internal reservations have been provided by classifying sub-castes into three groups: right, left, and others. The decision was made in the cabinet after taking everyone’s consent, and it has been ensured that all are satisfied.”

A group led by former Minister Anjaneya felicitated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by garlanding him and distributing sweets on the premises of the Vidhana Soudha after the meeting. However, another group, reportedly from the Alemari community, raised slogans against the Congress-led government, alleging that their community has been included in a category allotted only 5 per cent reservation.

Earlier, the Karnataka BJP slammed the Congress-led government in the state over the alleged flawed internal survey in connection with internal reservation. Taking to social media, the BJP said, “Karnataka’s caste census of the SC community is yet another guaranteed loot of Kannadigas’ tax money. The “Lottery CM” appears to have instructed his team to slap “survey done” stickers on doors without visiting homes, even marking vacant houses.”

The JD(S), while slamming the state government, stated on X, “This is a bogus survey by the Dalit-oppressive Congress-led Karnataka government. The very CM Siddaramaiah and Dy CM D.K. Shivakumar shout about uplifting Scheduled Castes — What kind of survey is it where notices are secretly pasted on houses without even collecting information from the homeowners or residents?”

Karnataka BJP has been demanding the immediate implementation of internal reservation in the state.

IANS