Seer Sri Purushothamanandapuri of Bhagirathi Uppara peeth in Hosadurga said the Central as well as state governments should take steps to extend the benefits now made available to Scheduled Castes to Upparas as people belonging to the community were socially, financially, politically and academically backward.
Speaking at the Uppara convention at Chamarajanagar on Friday, the seer said the people were not receiving the benefits properly as the community is listed under backward class 1.
“The community has remained backward as the successive governments have refused to heed to the demand that it be brought under Scheduled Castes,” he said.
“We do not want a holiday on Bhagiratha jayanti, but the day should be celebrated by the governments like they do for other leaders like Valmiki, Basavanna, Kanakadasa and Ambedkar. The governments should devise a package for the upliftment of the members of the community,” he urged.
Excise and district in-charge minister M P Renukacharya, Opposition leader in Assembly Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar and ex-chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and MLC C Puttarangashetty were present on the occasion.
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