BENGALURU: Senior Congress leader and former MP V S Ugrappa here on Monday criticised his own party over the alleged diversion of funds meant for the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, warning of an agitation if money earmarked for the community was misused.
Speaking at the Valmiki Jayanti celebrations and award presentation ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha Banquet Hall, attended by Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara and ministers K H Muniyappa, Rizwan Arshad and T Raghumurthy, Ugrappa demanded accountability for the alleged diversion of funds to other states.
"If funds are misused, we must launch a struggle. We will fight against the government if money meant for the community is diverted," he warned.
He also questioned how much land had been distributed to members of the Valmiki community over the past three years and urged the government to name the Bidar-Bengaluru National Highway after Maharshi Valmiki. He called for the Valmiki awards to be presented to deserving individuals who had made significant contributions to society.
On the reservation issue, Ugrappa urged the state government to lead an all-party delegation of MPs, MLAs and MLCs belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other backward communities to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek a lasting solution.
He called for an urgent appeal before the Supreme Court against the legal setback, as High Court struck down Karnataka’s enhanced reservation.
Ugrappa also demanded the inclusion of reservation laws of in the Constitution’s Ninth Schedule to protect them from legal challenges.
Citing Tamil Nadu’s 69 per cent reservation, Ugrappa said Karnataka should pursue a legally sustainable solution to protect the enhanced quotas, under which reservation for SCs was increased from 15 to 17 per cent and for STs from 3 to 7 per cent.
He said the legal setback had created uncertainty for students seeking admission to professional courses, including medicine, engineering, law and nursing, as well as candidates who had secured government jobs under the enhanced quota.
"Reservation is not alms. It is a measure of social justice," he said, urging political leaders to rise above party affiliations and press the Centre to intervene.
Questioning the silence of SC/ST MPs and legislators on the issue, Ugrappa said a coordinated political and legal effort was necessary to safeguard the interests of marginalised communities.
Sri Prasannanandapuri Swamiji of the Valmiki Gurupeetha in Rajanahalli, Davanagere, presided over the event.
MLA B Devendrappa, former minister H Anjaneya and Chief Secretary Dr Shalini Rajneesh were among those present.
