BENGALURU: The demand for inclusion of the Panchamasali Lingayat community under the 2A category in the state reservation quota echoed in the Assembly on Thursday. Putting the state government in a spot, two BJP MLAs -- Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Aravind Bellad -- took up the cause, and trooped to the well of the House, creating a commotion for some time.
During zero hour, Yatnal pointed out that during the legislative session six months ago, then chief minister B S Yediyurappa had promised to give the Kuruba community Scheduled Tribe tag and increase ST reservation quota from the existing 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent, for the benefit of Valmiki, Uppara and other ST communities.
“Yediyurappa also guaranteed inclusion of Panchamasali Lingayats, who are economically, socially and educationally backward, as well as subcastes Gowda Lingayats, Malegoudas and Deeksha Lingayats into the 2A category within six months. Going by this, September 15 was the deadline, but nothing has been done so far,” he said. The MLAs were pacified to return to their seats after being assured of a reply from the state government.