Karnataka CM Bommai credits Yediyurappa for SC/ST quota hike

Sri Prasananada Swami, a prominent seer of the Valmiki community, in his speech said that all former chief ministers of the state since 2008 had cited “technical challenges” and deferred the demand to increase reservations

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday rushed to defend his mentor and predecessor, BS Yediyurappa, when an influential seer denied him credit for the recent decision by the state government to increase reservation for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes (SC/STs).

CM Basavaraj Bommai said the implementation of the Justice Nagamohan Das committee report had BS Yediyurappa’s blessings. (PTI)

Sri Prasananada Swami, a prominent seer of the Valmiki community, in his speech said that all former chief ministers of the state since 2008 had cited “technical challenges” and deferred the demand to increase reservations.

“Even Yediyurappa thought he would burn his fingers and did not dwell on this,” the seer said, adding that Bommai had shown his commitment to protect exploited communities in the state.

Bommai interrupted the speech, stating that the implementation of the report had Yediyurappa’s blessings as well.

“He (Yediyurappa) said that we take everyone along and make sure the Justice Nagamohan Das committee report is implemented at the earliest. He told us that there should be no more extension of the committee when we went to him and said that within the next six months the report should be ready. I took the seer and Nagamohan Das with me and Yediyurappa said that this should be completed and implemented at the earliest. So, his (Yediyurappa) commitment is also there,” Bommai said.

He also credited people from the community, leaders from other parties as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and those who helped prepare the report for the decision to increase reservation.

The statements come two days after the state government on Friday said that a unanimous decision was taken to hike reservation for SCs and STs by 17% and 7%, respectively.

“It has been unanimously decided to hike reservation for the Scheduled Castes from 15 per cent to 17 per cent and the Scheduled Tribes from 3 per cent to 7 per cent,” Bommai said in a statement on Friday, HT reported.

The decision comes after an all party meeting was convened on Friday in Bengaluru in which senior leaders from all major political outfits gave their consent to increase the reservation opportunities for marginalised sections.

The all-party meeting was convened to discuss the Justice Nagamohan Das Committee report over the hike for quota for the SCs/STs on the basis of population which Bommai said was a “long-pending” demand.

“The State government is committed to providing opportunities for the oppressed classes like the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe to live with dignity, equality, self-reliant and self-respect,” Bommai said.

He was talking after garlanding the statue of Saint Valmiki on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti.

“The decision to celebrate Valmiki Jayanti was taken at the State Cabinet meeting held in Kalaburagi when B SYediyurappa was the chief minister and in which meeting, he, B.Sriramulu and Govind Karjol had participated. Since then this jayanti celebration has been celebrated in the most meaningful manner. The government is formulating programs on the basis of ideology and preaching of the Maharshi to be inculcated by everyone in the society,” he said.