Implement Sadashiva report at earliest, say Madiga Cong leaders

NT

Bengaluru

Ritually left hand Dalit leaders of the Congress on Tuesday congratulated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for approving the Sadashiva Commission and setting up a oneman commission to collect empirical data and advising the State government. Sadashiva Commission refers to the report that recommended internal reservation among the Scheduled Caste (SC) 15 per cent quota. However, the Dalit leaders in question including Excise RB Timmapur, Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa, former Rajya Sabha member L Hanumanthaiah and former minister H Anjaneya also called upon the CM and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar to expedite the implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report.

“Yesterday was a historic day for the fight for internal reservation. This was made possible by CM Siddaramaiah,” Timmapur said. “Siddaramaiah opened the doors of (good) fortune for Madigas,” Anjaneya said. Hanumanthaiah hailed the CM as someone who “followed the traditions” of Shahu Maharaj (the pro-social justice erstwhile king of Kolhapur), Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (monarch of Mysuru who approved Miller’s Commission) and Devaraj Urs (the former CM of the state who set up the Havanur Commission). “Our Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is following in their footsteps, which is why this has become a reality,” he said.

A delegation of Madigas headed by Anjaneya, Shivanna, Hanumanthaiah and former MP BN Chandrappa met Shivakumar at his Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru to seek early implementation of internal reservation. On the occasion, Siddaramaiah said that the Karnataka Cabinet had previously held informal discussions on internal reservations, and at the latest meeting, ministers such as HC Mahadevappa, Priyank Kharge, Timmapur, and Muniyappa unanimously supported the decision.