Protesters demanding internal reservation detained in Bengaluru, Cong slams govt

Bengaluru: Several protesters demanding implementation of internal reservation for communities among the Scheduled Castes were detained here on Sunday as they tried to march towards Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence to hand over a memorandum, police said.

Some of the protesters claimed they had gathered near the Freedom Park in the city to press for their demands but the police used force to disperse them, during which one person was injured.

Police officials said the protesters were detained when they started marching towards the chief minister’s residence and taken away in buses. Most of them were released later, they added.

The protesters were seeking implementation of the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report recommending internal reservation for communities among the Scheduled Castes.

Accusing the ruling BJP of arresting activists protesting against the state government, Leader of Opposition in the assembly Siddaramaiah said, ”I condemn this act of the government to silence the protestors. I demand Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to immediately release them.” ”It is unfortunate that @BJP4Karnataka govt, which came to power by promising to implement Justice Sadashiva Aayoga committee recommendations, has arrested the protestors who are demanding the same,” he tweeted.

”Once we come back to power, Congress will take everyone into confidence and send the recommendation to the Central government to implement the Justice Sadashiva Commission report,” Siddaramaiah added.

The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among SCs, has recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

The internal reservation demand has increased following the state government’s recent decision increasing the SC/ST reservation in the state. Reservation for SCs was increased from 15 to 17 per cent and for STs from three to seven per cent.