Belagavi: Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday firmly rejected the Panchamasali community's demand for inclusion in the 2A category of the backward classes' reservation matrix, labelling it as "anti-constitutional".
The statement came amid a state-wide stir by the community, which intensified following a violent protest at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi that led to several injuries during a police lathicharge.
During the Zero Hour proceedings, Siddaramaiah responded to the opposition's allegations, asserting that the community's demand was not a request but a challenge to the constitution. "The community's demand for inclusion into the 2A category of the OBC reservation matrix is an anti-constitutional demand," he declared.
Siddaramaiah further criticised the timing of the protest, pointing out that the reservation matrix was finalised in 1992, and questioning why the community did not raise concerns earlier. "Why didn't the community protest back then? It was only in 2022-23 that the community began protesting, especially after senior BJP functionary Murugesh Nirani failed to get a cabinet berth in BS Yediyurappa's cabinet," he added, targeting the BJP for supporting the agitation.
This remark left BJP leaders fuming, with many claiming the Panchamasali community's demand for reservation had been ongoing since the 1990s. However, Siddaramaiah persisted with his criticisms, stating, "The previous BJP govt under Basavaraj Bommai created the 2C and 2D categories in the reservation matrix, elevating Vokkaligas to 2C and Lingayats to 2D. They also withdrew the 4% reservation given to Muslims, redistributing it equally between the Vokkaligas and Lingayats."
Referring to the legal challenges to the decision, Siddaramaiah noted that the BJP's actions were contested in court, with the govt filing an affidavit in the high court stating that it would not alter the 1992 reservation matrix. "When this was challenged in the Supreme Court, the govt filed an affidavit saying that it would not disturb the existing reservation," Siddaramaiah added, questioning the constitutional basis for BJP's creation of new reservation categories.
BJP members, led by Sabanna Talavar, quickly lashed out at Siddaramaiah's statements, emphasizing that India's reservation system is caste-based, not religion-based, as outlined by Dr BR Ambedkar. Sabanna also stated that the 4% reservation for Muslims was unconstitutional. "The demand for reservation by the Panchamasali community must be granted," Sabanna said, leading to a verbal clash.
In the assembly, there was also heated exchange of words between governing and opposition party members when Congress member Vijayanand Kashappanavar, a leader of the Panchamasali Lingayat community, accused the BJP of misleading both the community and their spiritual leader. "The protest is sponsored and instigated by BJP," he alleged, further claiming that RSS members were involved in stone-pelting during the protests.
This led to a tense verbal battle between BJP and Congress members, with the BJP demanding that references to the RSS be expunged from the record.
Amidst the chaos, speaker UT Khader adjourned the House after the BJP protested the handling of the debate.
BJP members later stormed the speaker's chamber, expressing strong objections to Khader's management of the proceedings and demanded that their voices be heard before any further statements from Congress.