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FIR against Panchamasali protesters a day after clash
After clashes in Belagavi, police filed an FIR against Panchamasali Lingayat protesters, citing court order violations. Tensions rise over reservation demands.
Day after clash between the protesters of the Panchamasali Lingayat community and police near Vikas Soudha in Belagavi, the Hirebagewadi police registered a suo motu case and filed an FIR against several demonstrators, an officer said on Wednesday.
At a press conference, deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan, IGP Vikash Kumar Vikash, superintendent of police Bhimashankar Guled, and city police commissioner Iada Martin Marbaniang defended the lathi charge on the protesters as it was “unavoidable after protesters violated court orders to maintain peace”.
“The agitators created a tense situation by attempting to storm Suvarna Vidhana Soudha (SVS) and pelting stones at police and vehicles. In such extreme circumstances, the police had no choice but to resort to a lathi charge,” Guled said. He reported that 10 protesters and 14 police personnel were injured and are receiving treatment at various hospitals.
He further said that FIR has been registered against multiple people, including Ningappa Banad, Ramagowda Fakiragouda, Umesh Ingalewar, Manjunath Bendigeri, and Manjunath Gummagol, under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for offences such as assault, obstruction of duty, damage to public property, and attempted murder. Authorities are continuing investigations to identify additional suspects involved in the unrest.
The violence erupted outside the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, where Karnataka’s winter legislative session is underway, on Tuesday. Thousands of demonstrators led by Kudalasangama Panchamasali Peetha seer Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swamy gathered to demand their inclusion in the 2A reservation category, which offers a 15% quota, instead of their current 3B category with a 5% reservation.
Clashes broke out when protesters attempted to breach the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha premises using tractors and blocked National Highway-4 on Tuesday. The situation escalated with incidents of stone pelting, leading to damage to government and police vehicles. Law enforcement responded with lathi charges and detained several protesters, including BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Aravind Bellad.
Seer Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya condemned the police response and announced a statewide road blockade protest on December 12, accusing the Congress-led government of suppressing the community’s peaceful movement through excessive force.
Speaking to the media, the seer alleged that police officers in civilian clothes initiated violence, including stone pelting. “The state government must apologise immediately and suspend the officers responsible for the attack. Our community is deeply hurt, and we will not let our voices be silenced,” he said.
The seer also demanded explanation from chief minister Siddaramaiah on whether the government would meet their demands for reservation. He warned that the community would support a government that fulfils their demands, emphasising the movement’s peaceful nature despite alleged provocations.
The seer urged the community to block state and national highways, as well as roads in villages and taluks, during the December 12 protest. He assured the injured protesters that their medical expenses would be covered by the community and called for the immediate release of detained members. “Despite the government’s attempts to suppress our movement, we remain steadfast in our demand for justice,” the seer added.
Meanwhile, the Karnataka Backward Caste Federation also warned of a statewide protest if the state government grants reservation under the 2A category to the Panchamasali Lingayat community. The members met chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday and submitted a memorandum opposing the demand.
The memorandum urged Siddaramaiah not to consider the inclusion of Panchamasali Lingayats under the 2A category of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation list.
KM Ramachandrappa, president of the federation, said that the demand was an attempt to access the 15% reservation quota reserved for socially and economically backward classes.
“The Panchamasali Lingayat sect is already availing benefits under the 3B category. However, their demands for inclusion under the 2A category will put the most backward castes at a disadvantage,” he said.
He further said that the Panchamasali community is academically, socially, economically, and politically advanced and argued that their inclusion in the 2A category would negatively impact underprivileged castes such as Agasa, Savita Samaj, Tigala, Ediga, Kuruba, and Devanga, among others.
“If this move is approved, it will deprive the most backward communities of opportunities in education, employment, and political representation. The Panchamasali Lingayat sect will dominate and take over the benefits meant for the truly backward,” he added.
