Former Karnataka CM and veteran BJP leader BS Yediyurappa’s house was attacked in Shikaripura town of Shivamogga district by members of the Banjara community on Monday.
Protestors also resorted to stone-pelting, injuring some policemen during a protest against the internal reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) announced by the state government.
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC have been imposed in the town.
Police used batons to disperse the large number of protesters, which included women. Some members of the Banjara community, who are also known as Lamani or Lambani, were injured.
Police were taken by surprise as the agitators, most of them youths, swarmed near Yediyurappa’s house and started hurling stones, damaging window glasses.
Sensing the situation going out of control, additional forces were summoned to the area.
The agitators alleged that “less” reservation was given to the ‘Scheduled Caste-Touchables’, to which the Banjara community belongs.
Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that the incident is regrettable and slammed the BJP for allegedly deceiving Lingayat, Muslim and SC/ST communities.
“No one’s residence should be attacked. But BJP’s politics of hate division is leading to unrest in SC/ST communities… Basavraj is modern shakuni of Karnataka are dividing the communities,” he said.
“Why are CM and ministers’ residences not being gheraoed? Yediyurappa is not an office bearer. It is politics of division and hate. I appeal to all people of Karnataka not to resort to violence, and punish the BJP with the right to vote you have. They want harmony of state to fail,” he added.
The Karnataka cabinet had last week decided to introduce internal reservation amongst the SCs.
After hiking reservation for the Scheduled Castes from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that 6 per cent reservation would be given to SC left sub-category, 5.5 per cent to SC right, 4.5 per cent to Touchables and one per cent to others.n
The state government also wrote to the Centre recommending that the proposal be included in the ninth schedule of the Constitution.
(With PTI inputs)
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