Karnataka Cong govt holds meet on reservation for Panchamasali Lingayats; seer warns of agitation

Bengaluru, Oct 18 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Deputy D.K. Shivakumar are chairing a meeting with the Panchamasali seer Jayamrutynjaya Swamiji, on the issue of 2A reservation for Panchamasali Lingayats at the Vidhana Soudha on Friday.

Community leaders from BJP, Congress and JD (S) parties are attending the meeting.

Jayamrutynjaya Swamiji, who is spearheading the movement in the state, has warned that if the demands are not met, a large-scale agitation will be staged against the Congress government.

The move by the Congress government amid the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and tribal welfare scams and also amid the announcement of bypolls for three Assembly segments in the state has raised debate.

Speaking to the media before attending the meeting, Jayamrutynjaya Swamiji said in Bengaluru, “The Congress government has invited us for the meeting over the pending reservation issue 18 months after coming to power. The Congress has assured that it will provide reservations to Panchmasali Lingayats. I have confidence that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will fulfil the demand.”

“This is not just our demand. It is a resolve to get our rights. The demand has been made for the past 30 years, we are in agitation mode. We are still to get our demand fulfilled,” Swamiji stated.

The previous BJP government instead of providing reservations under the 2A Category made an announcement that they will provide reservations under the new 2D Category. It was not implemented, Swamiji maintained.

“The Congress government is supported by the Panchamasali community and it has to give them back now. We had organised a large-scale protest by advocates in Belagavi recently and in this backdrop, we have been called into the meeting,” he stated.

“I appeal to CM Siddaramaiah… now that he has the legal and other documents with him, he should provide reservation under 2A Category for Panchamasali Lingayats and also recommend to the Centre to include whole Lingayat community to the Other Backward Community (OBC) group,” Swamiji stated.

“If our demands are not met and if we get a negative response in the meeting, a large-scale agitation will be organised in the state,” he warned.