Making sincere efforts for justice to all, says Karnataka CM

Amid growing clamour forreservation in government jobs and other sectors by variouscommunities, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa onSaturday said he has been making a sincere effort towardsjustice for all.

''Being the Chief Minister of the state, it's myresponsibility to provide justice to all. I am making asincere effort for justice to all sections of society,'' theChief Minister told reporters at the Mysuru airport.

To a question whether there was pressure on him withthe growing demand for reservation, he said it gave himhappiness when such challenges came before him as theystrengthened him to face them.

He said raising such demands was the right of thepeople.

The Chief Minister's statement came as the seers ofvarious communities such as Panchamasali Lingayat, Valmiki,Kuruba and Idiga communities intensified the demand for morereservation.

The Panchamasali sect has been demanding category 2Astatus within the category of Other Backward Communities, theKurubas for Scheduled Tribe status and Idigas for ScheduledCaste status.

The Valmiki community wanted their reservation to beincreased from three per cent to 7.5 per cent.

These agitations were led by the seers of the communitiesposing a challenge to the Yediyurappa government.

The Kudalasangama Panchamasali seer Basava JayaMrutyunjaya Swami has taken out a march to Bengaluru to pressfor his demand to give benefits of 2A category to 72 sub-sects of the Lingayat communities, including Panchamasali.

Swami Pranavananda, the seer of Sharana Basaveshwara Mathin Haveri, said the Idigas, who constitute about 90 lakhpeople, should be categorised as Scheduled Caste.

At a press conference in Haveri, he even threatened tostage protests if the demand to incorporate all the 26 sub-sects of Idigas in the SC category was not met.

Meanwhile, the BJP state vice-president and Yediyurappa'sson B Y Vijayendra said reminded those agitating forreservation that his father is the only one who respects allthe communities and such important issues should not bedeliberated on the streets.