Karnataka govt’s decision to set up panel on reservation demands an attempt to mislead people: Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday termed the state government’s decision to set up a three-member high-level panel to look into demands by various communities for revising the existing reservation as an attempt to buy time and mislead people for political gains.

The Cabinet headed by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday had decided to constitute the committee headed by a retired high court judge to look into demands by various communities in the state for revising the existing reservation and advise the government.

“CM of Karnataka’s decision to constitute a high-level 3 member committee, to study the reservation demands is nothing but an attempt to buy time and mislead people for political gains,” Siddaramaiah, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, said in a statement.

If Yediyurappa has honest intent to permanently resolve the reservation demands, he should immediately release and implement the completed Social and Economic Census report, the senior Congress leader said.

Further stating that the demand to change the reservation category for various castes can be permanently resolved only by increasing the total reservation limit, he said, the Chief Minister should place this demand immediately before the Central government.

The ongoing reservation issue is the result of Karnataka BJP and RSS” cruel political game, Siddaramaiah alleged, adding that people of the state will teach BJP a lesson.