Banjaras misunderstood, says BS Yediyurappa after attack on his house

Hours after members of Banjara's attacked his house, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa tried to play down the incident, saying that the community misunderstood the reservation bill.

Speaking to reporters, Yediyurappa said, "there is some confusion among Banjara community leaders, I will speak to the leaders and the chief minister as well so that if there are any grievances then those will be solved. I will talk to them in a day or two."

"I don't blame anyone or Congress for this incident. Banjara community helped me to become CM, whatever happened in Shikaripura is because of misconception," he added.

Agitating members of the Banjara community targeted Yediyurappa's house in Shikaripura town of this district and resorted to stone-pelting, injuring some policemen during a protest against the internal reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) announced by the state government.

Police used batons to disperse the large number of protesters, which included women. Some members of the Banjara community, who are also known as Lamani or Lambani, were injured.

The agitators gave vent to their anger, alleging that "less" reservation was given to the 'Scheduled Caste-Touchables', to which the Banjara community belongs.

The Karnataka cabinet had last week decided to introduce internal reservation amongst the SCs. After hiking reservation for the Scheduled Castes from 15 per cent to 17 per cent, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced that 6 per cent reservation would be given to SC left sub-category, 5.5 per cent to SC right, 4.5 per cent to Touchables and one per cent to others.

The state government also wrote to the Centre recommending that the proposal be included in the ninth schedule of the Constitution.

The decision was taken on the basis of a report submitted by the Justice A.J. Sadashiva Inquiry Commission that had been constituted by the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government in 2005 to look into the need for and means of sub-classifying Scheduled Caste reservations in Karnataka.