Karnataka cabinet meet on internal quota deferred to Aug 19 amid data disputes

The report was formally accepted in the August 7 cabinet session, during which copies were distributed to ministers. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah directed them to study it thoroughly and prepare for the special discussion.

Bengaluru: The special cabinet meeting scheduled for August 16 to discuss Justice H N Nagamohan Das’s report on internal reservation among Scheduled Castes (SCs), has been postponed to August 19.

The report was formally accepted in the August 7 cabinet session, during which copies were distributed to ministers. Chief Minister directed them to study it thoroughly and prepare for the special discussion.

However, the report has triggered strong opposition from SC-Right (Chalavadi and allied) castes, while SC-Left (Madiga-related) groups have hit the streets demanding its immediate implementation.

A meeting of Dalit ministers was held on Wednesday night at Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s residence, attended by Dr H C Mahadevappa and K H Muniyappa. Parameshwara said the ministers had previously planned to meet and discuss the report collectively.

They resolved to handle differences internally and requested the Chief Minister to postpone the meeting to address issues.

Simultaneously, Imamadi Siddarameshwara Swami of the Bhovi Gurupeeth submitted a memorandum to the CM, urging that scientific data be used to create a separate category for the Bhovi community. 

The seer pointed out that the report overstates the SC population and understates the Bhovi population. He highlighted data mismatches between the 2011 Census and another survey and said corrections should wait until the 2026 Census. He also said Bhovis were wrongly placed in the advanced category.