Basanagouda Ramanagouda Patil (Yatnal), the firebrand Bharatiya Janata Patil (BJP) legislator from Bijapur city (Vijayapura) on Sunday launched another offensive against the state government without naming chief minister B S Yediyurappa and demanded that Panchamasali community is included in the 2A category in the State OBC list by the end of the budget session.
"We have given memos. But this time we are here to take our reservation and not give another memo," Yatnal said in Bengaluru.
The rally of Panchamasali community, a sect of the dominant Lingayats, are among several politically influential communities in the state including the Kuruba, Vokkaligas and Valmikis who have sought increase in existing reservations. Panchamasalis are categorised in 3B subdivision under the Backward Class (BC) category and are demanding inclusion in the 2A subdivision which offers 15% reservation in education and employment. Yediyurappa has referred the matter to the state backward classes commission and has assured to do all he can as he faces pressure from the sub-sect, who like others Lingayats, have firmly backed him and the BJP in Karnataka for at least the last two decades.
Yatnal, a staunch critic of Yediyurappa, said that he will raise the issue on March 4 at the beginning of the budget session of the state legislature in Bengaluru. The Sunday demand seemed to have cut short the earlier three month time the community had proposed to give the government for affecting the change. Yatnal was speaking at a massive rally at the Palace Grounds, the culmination point for over 700 km long or march led by influential seers of the Panchamasali. The march started on 14 January from Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district and was attended by seers like Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamy.
{{/usCountry}}Yatnal, a staunch critic of Yediyurappa, said that he will raise the issue on March 4 at the beginning of the budget session of the state legislature in Bengaluru. The Sunday demand seemed to have cut short the earlier three month time the community had proposed to give the government for affecting the change. Yatnal was speaking at a massive rally at the Palace Grounds, the culmination point for over 700 km long or march led by influential seers of the Panchamasali. The march started on 14 January from Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district and was attended by seers like Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamy.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Yatnal was issued a notice by the BJP for repeated attacks on Yediyurappa and his family as well as talking about a change in leadership in the state.
"You cannot shut me up by issuing notices," Yatnal said, repeatedly referring to the Yediyurappa-led government as a "natak company". "If you think you can shut me up, you would be forced to vacate your chair," Yatnal said to loud roars from the thousands gathered at the rally. Thousands participated in the rally, holding flags and screaming "Jai Panchamasali", in what the seers described as "a show of strength".
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Apart from prominent seers, senior BJP ministers like CC Patil and Murugesh Nirani and leaders from the Congress were also seen on the event stage. "We are doing all we can to get this 2A," said Nirani, Karnataka's minister for mines and geology.
The rally also saw seers and leaders make a clear distinction between Lingayats and Panchamasali. Though there are at least 99 sub-sects under Lingayats, the distinctions made by speakers at the rally could add to Yediyurappa's challenges.