Madiga federation demands SC appeal over reservation ruling

Gadag The district unit of the Federation of Madiga Caste Sub-caste Organisations staged a protest before the district administration, demanding that the State Government immediately challenge the Karnataka High Court's Oct 12 order striking down the enhanced Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe reservation quotas. The protesters submitted a memorandum addressed to Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah through Deputy Commissioner Dr. Vijayamahantesh Danammanavar, urging the government to approach the Supreme Court against the verdict. The High Court ruling annulled the increase in SC reservation from 15 to 17 per cent and ST reservation from 3 to 7 per cent, thereby setting aside the additional six per cent reservation. The memorandum recalled that the demand for increased reservation had remained pending for nearly three decades. Following directions from the High Court in connection with a petition filed in 2015, the issue gained momentum during the 2018-19 Congress-JD(S) coalition government. The then Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy constituted the Nagamohan Das Commission to examine the issue. In 2022, the then former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai convened an all-party meeting and announced an increase in reservation, raising the SC quota to 17 per cent and the ST quota to 7 per cent. The government subsequently secured legislative approval and the Governor's assent to provide legal backing to the changes. The federation urged the government to protect the interests of SC and ST communities, implement internal reservation and ensure proper utilisation of SCSP and TSP funds for their intended purposes. It warned that failure to act on these demands would have political consequences for the ruling government in the forthcoming local body elections. State convener Udachappa Malagi, district convener Malatesha Yallapura, Manjappa Maroli, Dr. Thippeswamy Hosamani and several other office-bearers and activists participated in the protest.