BJP Accuses Karnataka Government of Suppressing Panchamasali Reservation Movement
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Belagavi, Dec 10 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP asserted on Tuesday that the state administration has purposefully suppressed the Panchamasali movement advocating for reservation in Belagavi.
State chief B.Y. Vijayendra contended that the government was fully aware of the nature of the Panchamasali community’s protest demanding 2A category reservation. However, with malicious intent, the state government has allegedly suppressed the movement by utilizing lathi charge against innocent protestors, resulting in serious injuries.
“For the past week, Jagadguru Basava Jayamruthyunjaya Swamiji has been providing insights regarding the protest. Instead of engaging in constructive dialogue with the esteemed Jayamruthyunjaya and seeking a resolution to the issue, the state government’s inept handling has exacerbated the agitation,” he claimed.
He urged the government to take immediate action against the irresponsible officials involved, apologize for the assault on the protestors, and ensure appropriate medical treatment and compensation for those who suffered severe injuries.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also denounced the incident, asserting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s supporters approached the Supreme Court to challenge the reservation under the backward quota for Panchamasali Linagayats.
“Siddaramaiah has consistently opposed their reservation. This reflects a strategy of appeasement politics. The legitimate demand of the Panchamasali community has faced injustice. Siddaramaiah frequently claims to advocate for social justice. When a backward community seeks reservation, a fair decision should be made to maintain peace,” Bommai stated.
He claimed that Siddaramaiah had been misrepresenting the BJP government's affidavit to the Supreme Court, falsely asserting that ‘we have communicated to the Apex Court that we will not implement our order’.
“Siddaramaiah’s supporters challenged the BJP government’s order to increase the quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas while cancelling the quota for Muslims, which Bommai described as mere vote bank politics,” he added.
“Siddaramaiah claimed that the previous BJP administration did not incorporate Panchamasalis under 2A. Instead, it redistributed reservations by cancelling the 4 per cent quota for Muslims and reallocating it equally to Categories 3A and 3B,” he explained.
The protestors advocating for reservation under the 2A Category for the Panchamasali Lingayat subsect turned violent on Tuesday, with police dispersing the crowd using force as they attempted to lay siege to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi.
