EWS quota to Vokkaligas, Lingayats: Brahmin body opposes govt plan

The Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha on Thursday opposed the government’s plan to use the 10% Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota to meet reservation demands of the politically-dominant Lingayats and Vokkaligas.

Mahasabha president Ashok Harnahalli called upon Brahmins to unite against the government’s “anti-Brahmin” policy and organise peaceful protests across the state.

On December 29, the Cabinet decided to create two new reservation categories: the Vokkaligas who come under Category 3A will be placed under the new Category 2C. The Veerashaiva-Lingayats, under Category 3B now, will be put in Category 2D. The existing Categories 3A and 3B will be done away with. Their reservation will continue as earlier - 4% for Vokkaligas under Category 2C and 5% for Lingayats under Category 2D.

Once the government finalises the distribution of the 10% quota among EWS communities such as Brahmins, the government wants to distribute whatever remains - six percentage points, as estimated - among the Vokkaligas and Lingayats who are asking for higher reservation.

In a video statement, Harnahalli, a former advocate-general, said that the Brahmin community cannot accept the state government’s plan. “Brahmins are already upset with the fact that the state government has delayed the implementation of 10% EWS quota by two years and even before it is being implemented, the state government is planning to add more communities into this category,” he said.

Describing this as “injustice”, Harnahalli said: “All sub-sects within the Brahmin community must come together to protest against the state government’s decision to give EWS quota to those communities that are already benefited under other reservation categories. The community cannot tolerate restricting Brahmin’s reservation to just 2-3%.”

Harnahalli insisted that the government should not tamper with the EWS quota, which he pointed out has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

The Mahasabha has also decided to constitute an action committee to formulate a protest plan.

Asked about the Mahasabha’s opposition to using the 10% EWS quota, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said: “We can’t discuss this on the road. We’ll discuss this with legal experts.”

On BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal giving a deadline to the government to provide clarity on the Panchamasali Lingayats’ demand for higher reservation, Bommai said: “We are committed. Whatever we do must be under the framework of law. Our first step is in the right direction. In the final report (of the backward classes commission), everybody will be given
justice.”