Karnataka govt committed to providing internal reservation among SCs soon: Minister

Bengaluru: Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Minister K H Muniyappa on Monday reiterated the state government's commitment to implementing internal reservation among Scheduled Castes at the earliest.

Terming as "inappropriate" criticism of the Congress government, including the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Ministers, for the delay, Muniyappa emphasised the importance of empirical data in recommending internal reservation and urged organisations advocating for the cause to wait patiently for three to four months.

"All of us are united on this—SC-Left, SC-Right, Bhovi, Lambani, and 101 sub-groups all support internal reservation. Whether legislators, Ministers, former Ministers, or ex-legislators, there is no division on this issue," Muniyappa said, addressing reporters here, alongside other SC community Ministers and legislators.

Noting that some organisations fighting for internal reservation have recently been speaking lightly about the government, the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and Ministers unnecessarily, he said, "We understand their concern; they have fought for it for thirty years. The fight has borne fruit, and now we have to work towards implementing it. No one in the cabinet is opposed to it.'"

Further, he added, "Criticising the government that is working towards faster implementation is not fair. I request the organisations to cooperate." The government appointed retired High Court judge Justice H N Nagmohan Das in November 2024 to head a commission to recommend internal reservation among Scheduled Castes.

The government has directed the one-man commission to rely on the 2011 Census and any other available data to compile empirical evidence for recommending internal reservation.

Pointing out that empirical data needs to be collected, the Minister cautioned that legal issues could arise if the process is rushed.

"We have to proceed cautiously, ensuring there are no mistakes in implementing internal reservation. Everyone is committed to this… we all agree that it should be done at the earliest, and we are united on this," Muniyappa added.

A section of SCs, especially the 'SC Left,' has been demanding internal reservation, alleging that only a few influential sub-castes have been receiving the majority of the benefits, while many communities remain marginalised.

In a landmark verdict delivered on August 1 last year, the Supreme Court ruled that states are constitutionally empowered to create sub-classifications within SCs, recognising that they form a socially heterogeneous group, to grant reservations for the upliftment of castes that are more "socially and educationally backward".