Bengaluru, Dec 11 (PTI) The leaders and activists of the Karnataka State Backward Castes Federation on Wednesday submitted a petition to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah demanding that the Panchamasali Lingayat community should not be included in the backward category-2A.

The leaders said that the demand of the Panchamasali community should not be considered for any reason for bringing them under the 2A category, otherwise a statewide struggle will have to be launched, the leaders told Siddaramaiah.

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The president of the outfit K M Ramachandrappa and the general secretary Yennegere R Venkataramaiah submitted a detailed memorandum to the Chief Minister explaining that the Panchamasali community was a strong community financially, socially, educationally and politically and hence, they should not be brought under the 2A category of the OBC.

The Panchamasali Lingayat community led by the pontiff of Kudalasangama Panchamasali Math Basava Jayamruthyunjaya Swami is demanding their inclusion 2A category. The community is presently placed under the 3B category that gets five per cent reservation in government jobs and education institutions whereas the 2A category, to which they want to be migrated, gets 15 per cent reservation.

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Pressing for the 12-year-old demand, the community staged a massive demonstration on Tuesday in Belagavi and that turned violent. Police resorted to lathi charge and booked many people for the commotion. Talking to reporters in Belagavi, the Swami accused the state government of creating confusion by giving false assurances on reservation.

Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai urged the state government to take all necessary measures to fully implement the new reservation policy the previous BJP government had introduced. Bommai said the Panchamasali community is the largest group within the Lingayat sect.

Regarding the violence during the Panchamasali community's protest in Belagavi on Tuesday, Bommai condemned the actions of officials, calling them arrogant and high-handed. The former CM demanded that officers involved in the Lathi charge be suspended immediately. He also demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should engage with leaders and elders of the Panchamasali community in discussions to resolve the issue amicably and sincerely.

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