Madiga organisations protest against Karnataka's Congress govt over reservation
The organisations held protests in front of the offices of all Deputy Commissioners across the state.
Speaking on the occasion, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader, A. Narayanaswamy, declared that the Madiga community will no longer wait or bow to false promises. "We will not wait until the next election," he asserted.
Narayanaswamy further warned that if the Congress-led government in Karnataka fails to implement internal reservation immediately, Madigas would launch a strong disobedience movement against the government.
He stated that protests are being held today (Friday) across all districts of the state, cutting across party lines. 'This is not a BJP-led movement,' he clarified.
He questioned whether the Karnataka government values its chair more than the people's issues. 'Is development more important for the government, or is it just holding onto power?' he asked.
'Justice has not been served to the Madigas. Our patience has run out. We can't wait any longer. If we take to the streets, we know how to send you home,' Narayanaswamy warned.
He also criticised the Chief Secretary for not holding a meeting when requested to discuss the injustices faced by Madigas since 1976.
'A reservation should not be given based only on population. The injustice faced by our community for over 40 years must be considered. If a higher reservation is not given based on decades of oppression, the Madiga community will be forced to launch an intense agitation,' he warned.
He demanded that all past dues be cleared. 'If old promises are not fulfilled, we will organise an intense struggle,' he stated.
Narayanswamy noted that protests are being held today in front of the Deputy Commissioners' offices in 26 districts, calling it a reflection of the awakening of the Madiga community. 'We want to remind many MLAs in this state that it would have been impossible for them to win without the Madiga vote,' he said.
He criticised elected representatives who had won with Madiga votes but have now fallen silent. 'You don't speak for the Madigas, yet you have the audacity to come and ask for our votes?' he questioned.
'Is there any law in this country that says Madigas should not get reservations?' he asked.
'During Zilla Panchayat and other local body elections, they keep saying 'tomorrow, tomorrow' when it comes to reservation. You had the power to suspend the Constitution and declare an Emergency to retain your position as Prime Minister. But for the Dalit Madigas of this state and country, injustice has continued even after Independence. Many Madiga students are unable to pursue MBBS due to a lack of money. Do you even understand all this?' he questioned the Congress party.
Narayanswamy questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's commitment to socialism. 'The CM claims to be a socialist who delivers justice to all. Then what is he the champion of?' he asked.
He criticised that not even a single scheme has been given to the backward Madigas in any sector. 'Where is your socialism?' he asked pointedly.
He declared that this is not just a disobedience movement — it will become a movement to unseat the government. He thanked everyone who participated in the protest.
BJP MLA Basavaraj Mattimadu, BJP state spokesperson H. Venkatesh Dodderi, BJP SC Morcha state vice-president Hoodi Manjunath, community leaders, and office-bearers of various organisations were present.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Now, Delhi Assembly runs solely on sunlight, first in the country
The Delhi Legislative Assembly on Sunday became the first legislature in the country to be powered entirely by solar energy, following the commissioning of a 500-kilowatt rooftop solar power plant. Alongside this, the Assembly launched the National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA), marking a shift towards paperless legislative functioning. The two initiatives were inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal, who called the Assembly's transition a model for sustainable and digital governance. 'This is not just an infrastructure upgrade, but a shift in institutional values,' he said, adding that the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs will provide all possible assistance to the efforts and initiatives of the Delhi Legislative Assembly in this regard. Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta emphasised that the solarisation of the Assembly is a cornerstone in a broader institutional shift towards sustainable and digital transformation. 'The present Assembly building was constructed in 1912 and was home to the country's first Parliament,' Gupta said. Highlighting the balance between tradition and progress, he remarked, 'Virasat aur Vikaas saath chalega (Legacy and development go together).' Gupta added that the solar power plant, installed on the rooftop, is expected to reduce the Assembly's monthly electricity bill by around Rs 15 lakh, or approximately Rs 1.75 crore annually. The savings, he said, would be redirected to developmental work. It will also potentially generate surplus electricity through net metering. The NeVA platform, developed under the Centre's 'One Nation, One Application' initiative, will be fully implemented from the upcoming Monsoon Session. A successful trial run was conducted with MLAs ahead of the inauguration. The trial offered firsthand experience of the digital interface, which includes smart delegate units with microphones and voting panels, RFID/NFC access, multilingual support, real-time document access via iPads, an automated AV system with HD cameras, and a secure, power-backed networking environment. The House will also see the introduction of the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Bill, 2025, by Education Minister Ashish Sood. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is also scheduled to table the Finance and Appropriation Accounts for 2023-24, which will present the financial position of the national capital. Gupta will also present two audit reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG): one on state finances for 2023-24 and a separate report on the welfare of building and construction workers in 2022-23. Sood, who also holds the Power portfolio, will also lay the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission's annual accounts and a notification on Green Energy Open Access regulations.
NDTV
19 minutes ago
- NDTV
"No Record": Poll Body Denies Congress Leader's Claim Of Forged Voter List
Bengaluru: In a development that adds fresh fuel to the ongoing controversy around alleged voter roll manipulation, the Karnataka State Election Commission has officially responded to a letter from H Nagesh -- the Congress candidate from Mahadevapura, who lost in the assembly elections from the same constituency in 2023. In response to his letter, the Commission has said it has no record of any submission made by him in April 2023 regarding forged entries in the constituency's voter list. In his letter dated July 31, Mr Nagesh had requested a copy of a document he claims to have submitted last year, listing alleged bogus voters in the 174-Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency. He said his team had misplaced the original documents listing forged entries in the voters list. The Election Commission, however has responded saying it has no such document on record and noted that Mr Nagesh had also not filed any petition or appeal challenging the 2023 voter list under relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Acts of 1950 and 1951. "This office does not have records of any such letter received from you during April 2023 on the issue of electoral rolls," read the letter from the Election Commission. The reply, issued by Joint Chief Electoral Officer Yogeshwar S, also emphasized that statutory electoral rolls are publicly available online and are also handed to all contesting candidates, including Mr Nagesh, at the time. Interestingly Rahul Gandhi has been raising the same issue and has been accusing the Election Commission of failing to act on credible evidence of electoral fraud. Rahul Gandhi will be in Bengaluru on August 5, where he will lead a major protest at Freedom Park against the Election Commission and the BJP.
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Ahead of Cong protest, ex-minister seeks copy of ‘2023 letter'; no record, says Karnataka CEO
Ahead of Congress's protest scheduled on August 5 in Bengaluru over alleged voter fraud during 2024 Lok Sabha elections, former minister H Nagesh had written to the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, seeking a copy of a complaint he claimed he had submitted in April 2023 alleging forged entries in voters' list. The CEO's office, however, denied receiving any such complaint. Nagesh contested the 2023 polls from Mahadevapura constituency in Bengaluru and lost by a margin of 44,000 votes to BJP's S Manjula. On July 31 this year, in a letter to the state election commission, he said, 'I, H Nagesh, wish to bring to your kind attention that we had earlier during April 2023, submitted a list containing details of alleged forged entries in the voters list pertaining to our constituency 174 Mahadevapura. This issue is of grave concern as it affects the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. However, we have misplaced the list of documents — we do not have a copy of the submitted documents for our records. We kindly request you to share a copy of the document which we had submitted.' The letter was shared on the official X handle of the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka, and the reply attached. Yogeshwar S, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, in a letter dated August 2, said that 'this office does not have records of any such letter received from you during April 2023 on the issue of electoral rolls with a list containing details of alleged forged entries in the voter list pertaining to 174-Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, which you have suddenly raised now.' 'This office has a statutory copy of the electoral roll which is also available online and is always handed over to the candidates during the elections, including you while you were a contesting candidate,' the letter said. 'Since then, you have not filed any petition with respect to 174-Mahadevapura Assembly Constituency as per Section 80 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 nor any appeal to either the first appellate authority or second appellate authority against entries in the electoral rolls published in 2023 as per Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950,' it said.
