Former chairperson of Karnataka Bhovi Development Corporation G.V. Seetharamu called upon Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to withdraw the “unscientific” recommendations made by the erstwhile BJP government to the Centre on providing internal reservation to Scheduled Castes.
Mr. Seetharamu, a Congress leader, said the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government’s recommendation sent to the Centre in March 2023 on internal reservations was based on the “flawed” suggestions made by a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by the then Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs J.C. Madhuswamy.
Claiming that he had obtained the data relating to the recommendations and population of scheduled castes on the basis of 2011 census through RTI, Mr. Seetharamu said the groups created to divide the 101 scheduled castes and the reservation apportioned to each group was not only “unscientific”, but also had a number of lacunae, he said.
While finding fault with the reservation apportioned to each group of castes, Mr. Seetharamu said the quota of 1 per cent recommended to 89 small groups was too less and contended that it should have been 2.45 per cent.
The recommendations, he alleged, were politically motivated with an eye on securing votes in the elections.
Hence, he said the Chief Minister should withdraw the recommendation and ensure justice for each sub-caste among the scheduled castes after going through the caste census, which is expected to be submitted by this month end.
Mr. Seetharamu also took serious exception to Minister for Food and Civil Supplies K.H. Muniyappa’s “provocative” statements on the demand for implementation of internal reservation.
He claimed that one of the reasons for Congress party’s rout in the 2018 elections was the confusion created by the party’s leaders on the issue. Hence, he said the party should issue gag orders to its party leaders so that public statements on the matter are stopped, lest it affects the party’s prospects in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
