Don't reopen internal quota issue, Dalit team urges CM Siddaramaiah

A division has emerged among Dalit leaders in Karnataka over internal reservation among the Scheduled Castes, with a delegation meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday and urging him not to open this “closed chapter” again.

Even as Food & Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa, who is from the SC Left community, had recently stated that the government must act on the A J Sadashiva Commission recommendations, a delegation of Bhovi, Lambani, Korcha and Korma community leaders has opposed it. 

The delegation included Backward Classes Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, deputy Speaker Rudrappa Lamani, former BJP MLA Aravind Limbavali, BJP MLAs Manjula Limbavali, Manappa Vajjal, Congress MLC Prakash Rathod and Bhovi Gurupeeta seer Immadi Siddarameshwara. 

Speaking to DH, Rathod said the previous BJP government had already sent the internal reservation recommendation to the Centre. While the ball is in the Centre’s court now, the BJP already faced backlash from Dalit voters for it during the 2023 Assembly polls.

“Why does the government want to now open this closed chapter again?” Rathod said. 

For, a section of the SC communities has been opposing the Sadashiva Commission report, fearing that several groups would be dropped from the SC list, if internal reservation is implemented. 

While the Sadashiva Commission had recommended internal reservation of 6% for SC (Left), 5% for SC (Right), 3% for touchables and 1% for other SCs, the BJP government had tweaked it and recommended 6% for SC (Left), 5.5% for SC (Right), 4.5% for touchables and 1% for others.

The Karnataka Reservation Protection Federation president Ravi Makali has filed a writ petition in the Karnataka High Court against internal reservation. The court has issued a notice to the government in this regard, to which it is yet to respond, the Federation members said. 

“We are against internal reservation. We want to live as one community,” Rathod said, alleging that those pushing for it were only seeking to divide the Scheduled Castes.