Panchamasali Lingayats intensify stir seeking OBC-2A status

Bengaluru, Feb 21 (PTI): The Panchamasali Lingayatcommunity intensified their agitation on Sunday to seek OBC-2A status with thousands of people thronging the city topress for the demand.

The agitators wanted to lay siege to the VidhanaSoudha, the seat of power, but due to the intervention of thepolice and the Karnataka Ministers, the members of thecommunity converged on Freedom Park.

On a call given by Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya, the seer ofthe Kudalasangama Panchamasali Lingayat Peeth, people arrivedhere from across the state seeking the OBC-2A categorystatus.

The Seer has said he would hold a fast-unto-death fromMarch 4 if the demand was not met.

''We are marching to lay siege to Vidhana Soudha. We willhold sit-in demonstrations till March 4, after which we willbe compelled to hold a fast-unto-death, the seer told thegathering at the Palace Ground here in thousands.

The spiritual leader had begun his 450-km walk on January14, when the agitation began, from Kudalasangama inBagalkote, a pilgrimage centre of Lingayat community. Theseer reached Bengaluru today.

The agitation was backed by the rebel BJP MLA fromVijayapura Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who told reporters onthe sidelines of the agitation that Chief Minister B SYediyurappa has to agree to the demand as he cannot put it onhold for long.

Banners and posters of the seers and other supporters andleaders of the movement dotted the Palace Ground where peopleraised slogans seeking justice to the community.

In view of the protest, two Ministers Murugesh Nirani and CC Patil, both belonging to the ruling BJP, persuaded the seerto give up the agitation but he would not.

Later, the city police commissioner Kamal Pant tried toconvince the seer to call off the plan to besiege the VidhanaSoudha as it was going to be unruly but the seer did notagree.

Then, the police officer ordered imposing section 144 ofthe CrPC in and around the Vidhana Soudha as many importantoffices such as the High Court, Vidhana Soudha and thecommissioners office were located there.

The prohibitory orders did not stop the agitators frommarching ahead.

They broke the barricade put up by police and had aconfrontation with the men in khakis.

The stalemate at the Cauvery junction continued.

Various communities across the state have been demandingreservations and upgradation of their status: The communitiesinclude Kurubas (shepherds), who have been demanding SCstatus, and the Valmikis, who come under ST, want increase inthe reservation.

Now, the Vokkaligas too have raised their voice demandingmore quota.