Koli (Kabbaliga) community leaders condemned Umesh Jadhav, Lok Sabha member from Kalaburagi, and other BJP leaders for not keeping their promise to get the Scheduled Tribe tag for their community.
“All the BJP leaders, especially Mr. Jadhav, had repeatedly promised during the last Lok Sabha elections to get ST tag to Koli community within three months of their party assuming power at the Centre. But, they did nothing to keep their promise even after years. Their promise, which they had made to get Koli community votes, turns out to be another election Jumla. The BJP betrayed the community,” Lachhappa Jamadar, State president of Koli-Kabbaliga Tribe Reforms Committee, said at a media conference in Kalaburagi on Sunday.
Mahantesh Kaulagi, district president, Forum of Backward Castes, said that the community leaders, who were aware of the betrayal by BJP, were planning to take up the issue and mobilise community members for a bigger struggle for the cause.
“We had started the struggle soon after we had realised the betrayal of BJP leaders. But, the outbreak of COVID-19 prevented us from going for larger mobilisations. Now, we are preparing for a bigger struggle. We will shortly mobilise two lakh community members in Kalaburagi to press for the demand,” Mr. Kaulagi said.
MES ban sought
Condemning the desecration of the Sangolli Rayanna statue in Belagavi, the leaders demanded the government book the culprits under stringent laws and ban the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), which, they said, had been disturbing the peace in the State.
“This is not the first time that the goondas of MES attacked the symbols of Kannada pride. The government book the culprits under sedition clause and impose a ban on MES that has been disturbing the peace in Belagavi,” Mr. Jamadar said.
Mr. Kaulagi said that a protest rally would be held in Kalaburagi on Wednesday to condemn the incident and appealed to the people to participate in a big number.
