Karnataka CM blames Congress for Shikaripur violence during protest against reservation

Appealing to leaders of the Banjara community to shun anxiety, the Chief Minister sought to clarify that the new reservation matrix had not been done as per the Sadashiva Commisison’s report that had caused anxiety among this community.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai blamed the opposition Congress for the violence in Shikaripur in which the Banjara community pelted stones at the house of BJP veteran leader and former CM B.S. Yediyurappa during the protest against the government’s decision to provide internal reservation to SC communities. Mr Yediyurppa is the MLA of Shikaripur in Shivamogga district.

“The Congress, especially its local unit, instigated the violence as it was unable to tolerate efforts by the BJP government to provide social justice to the deprived communities,” the Chief Minister told media persons in Chikkaballapur.

“Pitting one community against another and creating social unrest is an unpardonable act,” Mr. Bommai said.

Launching a counter-attack at Congress national general secretary Randeep Singh Surejwala, who had described him as Shakuni, the Chief Minister said, “Let Surjewala now tell people of the State who is the real Shakuni. If there is a Shakuni in this episode, then it is the Congress, which is pitting one community against the other for political gain.”

Appealing to leaders of the Banjara community to shun anxiety, the Chief Minister sought to clarify that the new reservation matrix had not been done as per the Sadashiva Commisison’s report that had caused anxiety among this community. “We have made the changes in reservation as per the recommendation of the Cabinet sub-committee.”

Pointing out that the Banjara community was anxious that their community may be removed from the SC list, he said, “I had issued an order regarding continuation of the Banjara and other communities, including Bovi, Koracha and Korama, in the SC list, and forwarded it to the Centre. We have increased reservation for them to 4.5% as against the earlier recommendation of 3%. We have ensured that Sadashiva Commission’s recommendations will not continue to be there by completing the process of internal reservation.”

Maintaining that there was no confusion with respect to the new reservation, he told the Banjara community that the government had protected their interests. The BJP government had provided possession certificates for their properties to over two lakh Banjara families.