Kurubas press for ST tag in massive Bengaluru rally

Siddaramaiah stays away from convention

Thousands of people from the Kuruba community staged a rally in Bengaluru on Sunday, urging the state government to recommend Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for them.

In a massive gathering at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre grounds, leaders of the community decided to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue and agreed to continue the agitation until their demands are met.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa, who is at the forefront of the agitation, said that he was confident of securing the ST tag at the event where Congress leader Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba, was missing.

"After consulting with the state government, we will meet PM Modi and Amit Shah. We won't rest until the whole community gets the ST tag in the state," he said.

Refuting allegations by Siddaramaiah about the movement being sponsored by the RSS, Eshwarappa said that poor Kurubas had sponsored the padayatra by Kaginele Kanakaguru Peeta seer, Niranjanandapuri Swami.

"They must withdraw their statement," Eshwarappa said. Siddaramaiah did not take part in the rally, have expressed reservations about the demands in the past.

Niranjanandapuri seer, who reached Bengaluru last Wednesday after launching the padayatra from Kaginele on January 15, said they would not "blackmail Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa like other seers".

"We only urge him to complete the socio-economic study of the community and recommend providing ST tag to the Centre," he said.

Petition submitted

Leaders of the community also submitted a petition to the state government over their demands. Revenue Minister R Ashoka accepted the petition on behalf of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and assured to take up the matter with the CM.

JD(S) MLC AH Vishwanath trained his guns at Siddaramaiah at the convention. Without referring to the former chief minister by name, he said that a leader who became CM because of Kuruba community had not participated in an apolitical event.

"He should open his eyes," he said.