BENGALURU: Issues after issues over reservations are putting pressure on the Congress government, especially CM Siddaramaiah, as the SC Left has been insisting on implementing the internal quota within the Scheduled Caste category.
After protests by Panchamasali Lingayats that turned violent with police lathi charging them in Belagavi last week, a section of the SC Left community is up in arms. Panchamasali seer Basavamurthy Madara Channayya Swamiji, who led the protest, had warned that members of the community would take to the streets if the government delays implementing internal reservation. Protests were held in some parts of the state for a couple of days.
Some analysts believe that BJP emerged with flying colours and crossed the 100 Assembly seat mark, but did not attain a simple majority of 113 seats, because of the SC Left community’s aversion towards Congress.
Siddaramaiah, who had asserted that it is ‘unconstitutional’ for Pachamasali Lingayats to seek the 2A tag of reservation, cannot use the same yardstick for SC communities as the Supreme Court clarified on August 1, 2024, that states can decide on the classification of quota.
Two weeks ago, the state government set up the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission to look into the issue and give its recommendation within two months. As the Supreme Court had said that the classification should be based on verifiable empirical data, the government has told the commission to consider the 2011 census data to review internal quota scientifically and reasonably.
“The commission has also collected data from DPAR, KPSC, universities and the social welfare department to assess the backwardness of 101 communities within the SC category and will soon meet the stakeholders to collect authentic data, if any, from them. The commission is likely to give its recommendations within the deadline,” hoped a Congress legislator from the SC Left community.