Banjaras hurl stones at B S Yediyurappa's Shikaripur residence; Section 144 imposed

The protest staged by people of Banjara Community opposing the state government's decision to recommend the Centre to implement A J Sadashiva panel commission's report on internal reservation among SCs turned violent in Shikaripur on Monday when police resorted to caning when agitators hurled stones at the residence of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa.

Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the agitators when the latter attempted to picket the residence of Yediyurappa and bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police G K Mithun Kumar visited the town to take stock of the situation. The enraged agitators burnt posters with the images of Yediyurappa and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. A policeman was injured during the violence.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Shikaripur town to prevent untoward incidents and restore peace.

Also Read | Bajrang Dal activists try to disrupt holi party in Mangaluru

Later, they staged a protest in front of the town panchayat office.

Banjaras urged the government to drop the Justice A J Sadashiva Commission report recommending proportional representation to sub-castes among Scheduled Castes, saying it was unscientific. They said the report is a ploy by vested interests to divide the Scheduled Caste communities that were living together peacefully all these years.The move of the state government would mete out injustice to Banjaras. It must withdraw the recommendation, they urged.