Protestors demanding a quota for the Panchamasali Lingayat community clashed with police at the Suvarna Vikasa Soudha in Belagavi, where Karnataka’s assembly sessions are taking place. The protest escalated into violence, with police using lathi charges to disperse the crowd. Over 10 people were injured during the incident.
The Panchamasali sub-sect, part of the influential Lingayat community, has been seeking inclusion in the 2A reservation category for the past three years. Led by seer Jayamruthuyunjaya Swamy, the protesters voiced their dissent, shouting slogans against the Congress government. BJP leaders Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Aravind Bellad also participated in the protest, and both were detained by the Belagavi police. Some injured individuals were seen bleeding and were rushed to the hospital.
The community has staged several protests in the past, including at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha during previous winter sessions, demanding better reservation benefits. In the wake of the clash, opposition parties criticized the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government for its harsh response. JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy accused the government of adopting an authoritarian approach, likening it to “Adolf Hitler’s path.” He also expressed outrage over the treatment of revered saints like Shri Shri Shri Basava Mrityunjaya Mahaswamiji, the Jagadguru of the Panchamasali community, and demanded an apology from the government.
However, CM Siddaramaiah defended his government, stating that they were not opposed to the protests. He emphasized that he had invited the protestors for discussion but they did not attend.
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