The call for a state-wide rasta roko strike by Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami seemed to have received a lukewarm response in Belagavi and surrounding districts. He had given the strike call against the delay in inclusion of the community in 2A OBC category on Saturday.
The seer had asked members of the Panchamsali Reservation Agitation Committee to block all national and state highways in all taluks and districts. However, the response was not as severe. In Belagavi district, for example, the committee held the protest only at a few places.
Members of the Belagavi Zilla Panchamasali Samaj joined the protest by blocking the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway near Hattargi in Hukkeri for a few minutes. A team of police officers dispersed them after some time.
They shouted slogans against the State government for delaying the recategorisation. They alleged that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had failed to fulfil their demand despite `swearing on his mother’. They warned of an intensive agitation if the State government did not issue government orders about recategorisation before the Assembly polls.
Rajshekar Magdum, Basavaraj Patil, Ramanna Dindure and other leaders were present.
