Hundreds of members of Panchamasali community, led by seer of Lingayat Panchamasali Peetha Sri Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami, staged a day-long sit-in in front of the residence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommmai in Shiggaon of Haveri district on Tuesday seeking inclusion of the community under 2A category of Other Backward Classes.
As announced by the seer on Monday, the protestors first took out a protest march from Channamma Circle in Shiggaon and staged the dharna on reaching the Chief Minister’s residence.
Addressing the protestors, the seer said that they have been forced to stage the dharna in front of the Chief Minister’s residence as he has failed to keep his promise of fulfilling their demand within the time he sought from the community.
Sri Basava Jaya Mrutuynjaya Swami said that the community still hoped that Mr. Bommai has a chance to create history by fulfilling the community’s demand and he should make use of it.
The swami also announced that the community leaders, including national president of the Panchamasali Trust Vijayanand Kashappanavar and the former Union Minister and BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, and others will meet and decide on the next course of agitation, which definitely will be intensive.
The seer said that Panchamasalis were innocent people and they have been duped by leaders, after coming to power. “BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa assured us giving reservation if voted to power. Accordingly, the community voted for him. But after coming to power, he forgot his promise,” the swami said and added that some leaders who benefited from the community’s votes, forgot their promises.
On Monday, addressing presspersons along with Mr. Vijayanand Kashappanavar in Hubballi, the seer announced that they will not give any further extension of the deadline and that they will launch a decisive agitation after the symbolic protest on Tuesday.
Mr. Kashappanavar said that if the government failed to respond, it will be a mega protest with at least 25 lakh members of the community participating in the agitation.
