Amid BJP fears of sub-quotas’ fallout, Bommai asks SCs to be wary of Cong

On March 24, the Bommai government decided to carve out internal reservations in the 17 per cent SC quota by splitting it into six per cent for the most backward SC (Left) group, 5.5 per cent for the less backward SC (Right) group, and 4.5 per cent for the SC (touchable).

However, there are fears in the BJP that this move could “alienate” the SC (touchable) and SC (Right) from the party in the polls while consolidating the SC (Left) votes in its favour.

“The Congress was continuously receiving the support of the SC/ST communities over the years. They converted the SC/ST communities into a vote bank that would be kept in a well for five years and at election time a rope was sent down to bring them out of the well. This was done for 70 years,” Bommai told the event organised by the state BJP’s SC wing. “They talk of social justice but keep the backward people behind. They still continue to deceive. They are planting seeds of division and trying to reap the political benefits of this in a peaceful state like Karnataka.”

Bommai charged that “During Siddaramaiah’s tenure as the CM, they did not commit to provide internal reservations despite claiming to support the SC/ST communities. The Congress has double standards. There is a difference between their conduct and words. Now they are saying the internal reservations are not possible since it has to be done at the Centre. We will do it at the Centre as well.”

The CM also insisted that other SC communities like Banjaras from the SC (touchable) group must not see the internal reservations as an effort to reduce their quota.

“The Banjara community must not fall prey to false information that they are being removed from the reservation list. We may remain in power or we may not remain but the task of protecting the community has been done,” he claimed.

He also said there was no move to oust four touchable communities – Banjaras, Bhovis, Kormas and Korachas – from the SC list in the state.

“When we have delivered social justice we have tried to ensure that injustice is not done to any other communities. We are not taking the quota of one community and giving it to another. We are giving people what is their due and right,” Bommai said, alleging that “Congress says it will reverse these decisions if it comes to power but it will never come to power”.

BJP veteran and ex-CM B S Yediyurappa called the move to provide internal reservations for Dalits “historic”. “In Independent India, there are probably no similar examples of such historic decisions,” he claimed.

“These internal reservations must be communicated to all homes. The Congress is spreading misinformation that the internal reservation amounts to the cancellation of the reservation for communities like Bhovis, Banjaras, Korachas, and Kormas. I want to guarantee that these communities will not be affected,” Yediyurappa said.

Union minister A Narayanaswamy, who is considered one of the chief architects of this move, said the “aim of the Sangh Parivar is to provide social justice”. “We do not forget those who stand with us. Are we not going to support the BJP government which responded to our demand of over three decades for internal reservation? We have come to Hubbali today to prove our strength to Siddaramaiah,” Narayanaswamy said.

“Now Siddaramaiah speaks and says that the Constitution must be protected. Who are you to protect the Constitution? The people of the country are knowledgeable and we are capable of protecting the Constitution given to us by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” he said.

“The former CM is trying to mislead people from downtrodden castes. He speaks about the law. Does he think there is no one among Dalits who knows the law and the Constitution? Who says that Article 341 (2) does not allow the state government to carry out internal reservations?” asked

Narayanaswamy, a prominent leader from the SC (Left) Madiga community.