Shivamoga: Hours after protesters hurled stones at the office and house in the Shivamoga district during a protest against the recently announced internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa said that he has asked the police not to take action against anyone adding that the incident might have occurred due to a misunderstanding.
" Today some Banjara Samaja activists pelted stones at my residence in Shikaripura. I immediately spoke to the SP and DC. The people of the community have been with us for many years. This incident is due to a misunderstanding," said Yeddyurappa.
Speaking to reporters at his official residence Kaveri, the former Chief Minister also said that he will speak to the leaders of the community and discuss the reason behind the incident. He also refused to name anyone in relation to the incident.
As per the officials, the protesters belonging to the Banjara and Bhovi communities took out a march from Ambedkar Circle to the Taluk Administration Office to submit a petition in this regard.
The protesters moved from the taluk administration building towards Yediyurappa's residence at Malerakeri and started pelting stones. As a result, the windowpanes of the house were broken. It is said that no one was in the house at the time. Police immediately secured the house even as a barricade was installed in front of the house by the taluk administration.
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Shikaripura DySP led the police action against the stone-pelting protesters. However, the protesters crossed the barricade and started pelting stones at the police. In order to disperse the stone-pelting protesters, police resorted to baton charges in which a few protesters were injured. Police have imposed restrictions under section 144 to prevent a law and order situation in the area.
The protesting Banjara community is protesting alleging injustice in the internal reservation announced by the Basavvaraj Bommai-led BJP government recently. The Bommai government on Friday announced a rejig in the reservation in the state by scrapping 4 percent reservation to Muslims and giving 2 percent each to Vookaligas and Lingayats.
The Muslims have been shifted to the EWS quota and will now have to compete with other reserved castes. The Banjara community has alleged that their share of the reservation will go down after the rejig in the reservation.
