Quota: Can't decide anything now, CM Siddaramaiah tells Panchamasali delegation

Bengaluru: Panchamasali Lingayat leaders announced a massive protest after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told them on Friday that the government cannot meet their reservation demand citing a case pending before the Supreme Court.

Siddaramaiah met a Panchamasali community delegation led by pontiff Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami.

At present, the Panchamasalis -- they claim to be the largest sub-caste of the Lingayats -- come under OBC Category 3B with a 5 per cent reservation. They want to be moved to Category 2A, which has 15 per cent reservation.

"The government has an open mind. We're for social justice. But we're yet to receive the final report of the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes. And, since there's a model code of conduct, we need to discuss this legally. No decision can be made right now," Siddaramaiah said, according to a statement from his office.

At the meeting, Siddaramaiah also pointed out that the previous BJP government’s decision to hike quota for Lingayats and Vokkaligas by scrapping 4 per cent reservation for Muslims is pending for adjudication at the Supreme Court.

The Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government decided to move Vokkaligas from 3A and Lingayats from 3B to a new Category 2C and 2D, respectively.

From the 4 per cent reservation for Muslims, Vokkaligas and Lingayats got two percentage points each. This increased Vokkaliga reservation to 6 per cent and Lingayats to 7 per cent, up from 4 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively. Categories 3A and 3B were scrapped.

"When this was questioned before the Supreme Court, the state government said it would maintain status quo. So, the case is still before the court," Siddaramaiah explained.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar reiterated this position. "The reservation issue is in court and the government can’t intervene at this juncture. Also, due to the model code of conduct, we told the delegation that they'd be called for a meeting once elections are over. We understand their urgency," he added.

With the government throwing its hands up, Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami said Panchamasalis would disrupt the winter session of the legislature at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi on December 9. "It will be led by 10,000 lawyers of the Panchamasali community," he said.

"The CM should either implement the previous government's decision, or move us to Category 2A. If he can't do both, the government should recommend to the union government our inclusion under the central OBC list. But for everything, the CM cited the election code of conduct," the pontiff said.