Basava Jayamrutyunjaya Swami of Lingayat Panchamsali Peetha has said that he will launch an indefinite protest if the State government failed to provide reservation under backward class category 2A for all sub-communities of Lingayat by this month-end.
Addressing presspersons in Kalaburagi on Monday, Jayamrutunjaya Swami, who launched Panchamsali Pratijna Panchayat stage IV of the movement on August 26, said that the former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa had then promised to accord 2A status for Lingayat and sought time till September 15 and the deadline is nearing.
Criticising the State government for not taking any steps to accord 2A reservation status to Panchamsali community, Jayamrutunjaya Swami said that if the demands are not fulfilled by September 30, he will launch a dharna satyagraha at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on October 1.
There are a total of 110 sub-communities among Lingayat, of which 34 come under Category 2A and 12 under Category 3B reservation. And, the remaining sub-communities, which are deprived of social and economic benefits, should be brought under Category 2A, he added.
Pratijna Panchayat launched at Malemahadeshwar in Chamrajanagar passed through Shivamogga, Mysuru, Mandya, Kodagu, Hassan and parts of Kalyana Karnataka region to reach Kalaburagi district on Sunday. “Throughout the campaign, we have urged people belonging to Panchamsali, Lingayat Gowda, Malegowda, Diksha Lingayat community to join us and exert pressure on the government to accord 2A category for Lingayat,” he said. The campaign will culminate in Bengaluru on September 30.
Replying to a question, Jayamrutyunjaya Swami said that if the government went back on its promise, “we will launch State-wide agitation, which will be more intense”.
