Vokkaligas set Jan 23 deadline for hike in reservation to 12%

Nanjavadhoota Swami of Spatikapuri Mutt said the Vokkaliga community has waited enough and they would till January 23 for the government to respond to the memorandum. He also threatened to launch a protest if their demands are not met

Bengaluru

Vokkaliga politicians, including Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, and BJP ministers R Ashoka and K Sudhakar, were present at the meeting, demanding hike in reservation. (PTI)

Leaders from the dominant the Vokkaliga community have set a January 23 deadline for an increase in reservation for jobs and education from 4% to 12%, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the state under pressure with assembly elections due next year.

On Sunday, top religious and political leaders met under the aegis of the State Vokkaligara Sangha where they handed out a memorandum to the government through revenue minister R Ashoka.

Pontiffs of all Vokkaliga mutts, including Nirmalanandanatha Swami of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, Nanjavadhoota Swami of Spatikapuri Mutt, and Chandrashekharanatha Swami of Vishva Vokkaliga Mahasmsthana Mutt, took part in the meeting.

Vokkaliga politicians, including Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, former chief minister DV Sadananda Gowda, and BJP ministers R Ashoka and K Sudhakar, were present at the meeting.

Nanjavadhoota Swami of Spatikapuri Mutt said the Vokkaliga community has waited enough and they would till January 23 for the government to respond to the memorandum. He also threatened to launch a protest if their demands are not met. Swami Nirmalananda of Adichunchanagiri Mutt also said the hike in reservation is needed and that they have discussed it and given a deadline to the government.

Vokkaligas are a dominant community in the state and are estimated to be the second largest, after Lingayats, comprising 16% of the state’s population.

The ruling BJP last month had issued an ordinance to enhance the reservation of STs from 3 to 7% and the SCs from 15% to 17% besides announcing a slew of welfare measures. This has already taken the reservation tally to 56%, thus crossing the 50% cap on the quota fixed by the Supreme Court.

BJP leader Sadananda Gowda said the party and the community leaders should pursue the demand and join the movement. Shivakumar, the Congress’ Vokkaliga face, said that they were not asking anything for their personal benefits and were only demanding their right on the basis of the population. “If there’s no option, we have to fight for it,” Shivakumar said.

The leaders said they will decide on the next course of action if the state government fails to take a decision on the issue before the deadline.

The BJP has already breached the reservation cap in the state. Meanwhile, Panchamasalis, a Lingayat sub-sect, is seeking 2A status in OBC reservation category. Kurubas are also demanding a ST category from the OBC cluster.