Protests Turn Violent in Karnataka Over Lingayat Community’s Quota Demand

Bengaluru: Tensions escalated in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Tuesday as protests by the Lingayat Panchamasali community demanding enhanced reservation quotas turned violent. The agitation, led by the community’s religious leader Basavajaya Mrityunjay Swamiji, was met with a police lathi-charge after protesters attempted to breach security and march towards the Vidhan Soudha, where the state Assembly’s winter session had commenced.

The protesters, who had earlier threatened to lay siege to the state legislative building if their demands were not addressed, clashed with police as the situation turned increasingly chaotic. During the clash, multiple opposition lawmakers from the BJP, along with Mrityunjay Swamiji and several supporters, were taken into preventive custody.

Disturbing footage from the protests showed protesters being forcefully detained by police. One video captured a protester with a bloody bandage, while another showed cops forcing demonstrators into buses. Several government and MLA vehicles were also damaged in the chaos.

The protests, primarily led by the Panchamasali sect of the Lingayat community, were fueled by a demand for a 15% reservation in education and government jobs. The community currently benefits from a 5% quota. The protests triggered a political row between the ruling Congress and the BJP, with BJP leaders accusing the Congress of suppressing peaceful demonstrations. BJP spokesperson GS Prashanth claimed that the Congress government deliberately ordered the use of force to quell the protests, framing it as an attempt to suppress the Lingayat community’s rights.

The protests have intensified political debates over the issue, with BJP's Basanagouda Patil Yatnal clashing with Congress lawmakers in the Assembly earlier this week. Yatnal and other BJP leaders have accused the Congress of stifling the demand for quotas to revive a separate Muslim reservation that was abolished by the previous BJP-led government.

In response to the protests, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah assured community leaders of the government’s support, pending the submission of a report by the state’s Backward Classes Commission. The protests are expected to continue as the community presses for greater representation and justice.