Seeking 2A quota, Marathas display strength in Belagavi

BELAGAVI: The Kshatriya Maratha community attempted a show of strength for 2a reservation in Belagavi on Tuesday. The Kshatriya Marathas are in the 3B category.
The leaders of the community are upset with the BJP for repeatedly giving false assurances about the change in the reservation category. They claim that the N Shankarappa Commission set up by the government had proposed for the change of Maratha reservation from 3B to 2A in 2012.
BJP leader BS Yediyurappa had assured the community about changing the reservation category within 24 hours after he took charge as chief minister. But nothing has happened after 24 months, the leaders said. The community is worried that chief minister Basavaraj Bommai is going down a similar path on their demand.
Addressing thousands of community people at the Kondaskopp protest spot near the Suvarna Vidhan Soudha on Tuesday, Manjunath Bharati Swamiji reminded the crowd that there were 60-70 lakh Marathas in the state and theor vote could be a game changer in around 60 assembly segments. The community has been used for elections by the political parties so far. However, that will not happen in the future, he said.
“We have been fighting for reservation for the past 10 years and I am hopeful that CM Bommai will fulfil the demand during the winter session as it is a last session of this government.
The CM met me twice and assured me about announcing the reservation. The community, which is backword economically, educationally, socially and politically as well is in dire need of reservation,” he said. He also demanded the installation of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the premises of Benagaluru Vidhana Soudha.
Support by Congress leaders
Congress state working president Satish Jarkiholi and Belagavi (rural) MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar visited the protest spot and announced their support to the fight of the Marathas for the 2A category reservation.
Hebbalkar told the gathering: “It’s a community that has given me political rebirth and I will always stand by you. I will also try to raise the issue during the session,” she said.
She invited the community for the inaugural programme of unveiling a 50-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajhansgad fort in February.
Faction interrupts Jarkiholi
One of the factions in the Maratha community interrupted Satish Jarkiholi’s speech. Condemning his alleged statement on Sambhaji Maharaj recently at Nipani, workers of a faction started shouting slogans.
Former MLA Kakasaheb Patil clarified that Satish had not said anything controversial about Sambhaji Maharaj but the crowd continued shouting slogans. Satish then finished his speech in two lines by announcing that he would stand by the community on reservation-related issues.
Later, speaking to mediapersons, Satish said: “Opposing me wasn’t a sentiment of a whole community, but a faction. It’s common in public life and in a democracy. We are with the Maratha community and will raise the demand in the house,” he said. Two BJP MLAs Anil Benake and Shrimant Patil were also at the meet.