Dalit leaders angered after CM Siddaramaiah, son cut call off meeting midway

Mysuru: Dr Yathindra, son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, had to be called off a meeting with the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes leaders’ midway, as the participants sought this as an opportunity to air their grievances and were not ready to listen to him.

The meeting was held at a private hotel in the city of the participants from Varuna and Chamundeshwari Assembly constituencies on Tuesday. There was commotion for sometime after the participants raised uncomfortable questions.

The leaders were displeased with both Siddaramaiah and Dr. Yathindra and complained, “You people remember us only when election approaches. When we need your help, nobody is available at your house. Without helping us in any way, now you want us to vote for you. You treat us as mere voters, nothing more.”

“Even while issuing benefits to the SC and ST community people, the beneficiaries are the same set of people. For others, no loan or financial assistance is extended, despite numerous and repeated applications to the department concerned,” they expressed.

The Dalit leaders sought opportunity to air the complaints of every single aggrieved person in the hall. The meeting had to be called off as the combined effort of Dr. Yathindra and others to pacify the participants failed.