Making sincere efforts for justice to all, says BSY

Team Udayavani, Feb 14, 2021, 8:10 AM IST

Bengaluru: Amid growing clamour for reservation in government jobs and other sectors by various communities, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday said he has been making a sincere effort towards justice for all.

“Being the Chief Minister of the state, it’s my responsibility to provide justice to all. I am making a sincere effort for justice to all sections of society,” the Chief Minister told reporters at the Mysuru airport.

To a question whether there was pressure on him with the growing demand for reservation, he said it gave him happiness when such challenges came before him as they strengthened him to face them.

He said raising such demands was the right of the people. The Chief Minister’s statement came as the seers of various communities such as Panchamasali Lingayat, Valmiki, Kuruba and Idiga communities intensified the demand for more reservation.

The Panchamasali sect has been demanding category 2A status within the category of Other Backward Communities, the Kurubas for Scheduled Tribe status and Idigas for Scheduled Caste status.

The Valmiki community wanted their reservation to be increased from three per cent to 7.5 per cent. These agitations were led by the seers of the communities posing a challenge to the Yediyurappa government.

The Kudalasangama Panchamasali seer Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami has taken out a march to Bengaluru to press for his demand to give benefits of 2A category to 72 sub- sects of the Lingayat communities, including Panchamasali.

Swami Pranavananda, the seer of Sharana Basaveshwara Math in Haveri, said the Idigas, who constitute about 90 lakh people, should be categorised as Scheduled Caste. At a press conference in Haveri, he even threatened to stage protests if the demand to incorporate all the 26 sub- sects of Idigas in the SC category was not met.

Meanwhile, the BJP state vice-president and Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra said reminded those agitating for reservation that his father is the only one who respects all the communities and such important issues should not be deliberated on the streets.