Internal reservation for Dalits: Siddaramaiah govt recommends constitutional amendment, ball now in Centre's court

Bengaluru: Playing it safe, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to recommend to the Union government amending the Constitution to provide internal reservation for Dalits, a poll promise the ruling Congress has now lobbed to the Modi administration.

With this, the Congress hopes to mount pressure on the BJP to take a stand on the contentious issue while conveying to the Dalits that it has set the ball rolling.

Internal reservation is a delicate matter that backfired for the previous BJP government. Also, there are divisions among Congress’ Dalit leaders on the matter.

Citing legalese, the Cabinet concluded that providing internal reservation can be done only by the Parliament.

"The Cabinet has decided to recommend that Article 341 of the Constitution must be amended. Parliament is the only authority. The state government can only recommend as such," Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa said. "Unless Article 341 is amended, nothing can be done."

The Cabinet decision came even as a 7-member bench of the Supreme Court is seized of the matter regarding the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes. "The Cabinet decision is not sub-judice. The matter is before the judiciary, yes, but without a Constitutional amendment, justice won't be possible," Law Minister HK Patil said.

The demand to introduce internal reservation is being led by SC (Left) leaders of the Congress amid protests from the SC (Right), Lambanis and Bhovis (touchable Dalits). To demonstrate unity, the Cabinet briefing had Food & Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa from the SC (Left) and Mahadevappa who belongs to the SC (Right).

With this decision of the Cabinet, the Congress has virtually given up on its poll promise of tabling in the legislature the AJ Sadashiva Commission report on internal reservation.

"The previous BJP government rejected the Sadashiva report. We can't revive it again," Mahadevappa said.

While junking the Sadashiva report, the previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government had recommended to the Union government internal reservation of 6% for SC (Left), 5.5% for SC (Right), 4.5% for touchables and 1% for others, which led to protests from Lambanis who feared that they would lose out.

Wary of a similar backlash, the Cabinet has made it clear that no group will be left out of the SC list comprising 101 castes.

“The Congress had said that we'd set the ball rolling on the process of internal reservation. That's what we've done now by asking the union government to amend the Constitution," Muniyappa said.