BENGALURU: In a political saga reminiscent of the BJP’s reservation controversy last year, the Congress in Karnataka is now under scrutiny for alleged backtracking on its commitment to implement the AJ Sadashiva Committee report.
Leaders from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community are expressing dissatisfaction, claiming that the Congress, like its predecessor, is failing to uphold promises made during the campaign leading up to the assembly elections.
The controversy centres around the Congress government’s recent move to shift responsibility to the central government. In a letter dated January 18, 2024, addressed to the principal secretary to the Government of India, ministry of so-cial justice and empowerment, Karnataka urges the amendment of Article 341(3) to grant states authority for internal reservations for SCs. This move is perceived by some as a diversionary tactic.
Former BJP minister and Dalit leader Govind Karjol criticised the letter, deeming it misleading and an attempt to confuse the public. He referenced a Supreme Court ruling from 2021, led by Justice Arunkumar Mishra, stating that there is no need to amend Article 341 for internal reservations. “The amendment would only be necessary in cases of adding or deleting castes in the reservation category,” he claimed.
During Basavaraj Bommai’s tenure as chief minister, the then BJP government, on November 1, 2022, increased SC reservation from 15% to 17%, and ST reservation from 3% to 7%, resulting in a total SC/ST reservation of 24%. A cabinet subcommittee, formed under law minister J Madhuswamy, recommended sub-categorisation within SCs, allocating specific percentages to Ma-digas, Chalawadis, Lambani, Waddar, Korama, Koracha, and nomads.
However, Karjol said BJP faced challenges in effectively communicating these changes to the public due to the model code of conduct. The situation escalated when Congress capitalized on the agitation among Lambanis and Bhovis, leading to an incident where stones were thrown at Yediyurappa’s house in Shikaripura before the assembly polls. Accusing Congress of attempting to mislead the public, Karjol suggested that the party’s move is aresponse to fears of Madigas supporting the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, especially after PM Modi’s support for the Madiga agitation in Andhra Pradesh.
BJP MLC Chalawadi Narayan Swamy dismissed the significance of Siddaramaiah government’s let-ter to the Centre, emphasising the need for a seven-judge bench to resolve conflicting judgments by Justice Santosh Hegde and Justice Arunkumar Mishra on the powers of state governments to provide internal reservations.
Senior Congress functionary Chandrashekhar Kodabagi defended the move saying Congress and BJP’s shared support for internal reservations, stating that the Siddaramaiah government’s recent letter to the centre should be perceived as a reminder, following a similar letter from the BJP-led government last year. The political debate on the issue is expected to intensify among politicians as the Scheduled Caste community remains at the centre of a complex and contentious issue, with the Lok Sabha elections round the corner.
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