Bengaluru, Feb 23 (IANS) A BJP delegation has submitted a memorandum to Karnataka Governor Thawarchand Gehlot alleging that the Congress-led government in the state has mishandled the issue of internal reservation among Scheduled Castes and created uncertainty instead of ensuring social justice.
The delegation included former Deputy Chief Minister and MP Govind Karjol, former Union Minister A. Narayanaswamy, MLA Duryodhan Aihole, Basavaraj Mattimadu and retired IAS officer Lakshminarayan.
In the memorandum to the Governor, the delegation noted that 18 months have passed since the Supreme Court delivered its verdict on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes on August 1, 2024. They pointed out that states such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana had implemented the ruling within six months, while Karnataka has yet to do so.
The memorandum stated that there had been no demand from the Madiga community to constitute the Justice Nagamohan Das Commission, as data was already available through earlier reports, including the Justice Sadashiva Commission and the Madhuswamy Committee. Despite this, the state government allegedly set up the Nagamohan Das Commission, which functioned for six months at an estimated cost of Rs 110 crore.
According to the memorandum, the commission recommended a structure allocating 1 per cent reservation to 59 small nomadic tribes under Category 1, 6 per cent to Madiga-related sub-castes under Category 2, 5 per cent to Holeya-related sub-castes under Category 3, 4 per cent to Bhovi, Banjara, Koracha, and Korama sub-castes under Category 4, and 1 per cent to communities that declined to identify with their original caste.
The delegation questioned why the government did not adopt this formula and instead introduced a revised 6:6:5 model, which they alleged was driven by political pressure. They said neither the Chief Minister nor the Social Welfare Minister clarified the basis of the revised structure.
Although a Bill was introduced and passed in the Assembly, the memorandum claimed it was tabled around 7 p.m. and cleared hastily without detailed debate, relying on numerical strength.
The signatories further alleged that the government failed to convene an all-party meeting or consult community leaders, social organisations, legal experts or scholars before implementing what they described as a historic policy decision.
They contended that earlier panels had consistently recommended a 1 per cent quota for smaller nomadic sub-castes within the Scheduled Castes, and alleged that the present government had deviated from the spirit of the court’s directions, leading to criticism from several quarters.
The memorandum also claimed that concerns of certain sub-castes remain unresolved and that internal reservation has not been extended to promotions or to the allocation of Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan funds. It further alleged that backlog roster points have not been fixed and that recruitment to state government posts has slowed, leaving about 2.85 lakh vacancies unfilled.
The delegation also cited remarks attributed to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah during an interaction with nomadic tribes, where he allegedly described the formula as politically driven and advised aggrieved groups to seek judicial remedies.
According to the memorandum, the issue has now reached the courts, raising concerns over the government’s preparedness to defend its stand. The delegation also alleged that the reservation debate was being used to divert attention from broader governance issues.
The Governor has reportedly sought clarification from the state government and received a response. The delegation expressed confidence that he would take an appropriate decision in the interest of all Scheduled Caste sub-castes and uphold the principle of social justice.
–IANS
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