Bengaluru erupted in political heat on Friday as senior BJP leader and former Union Minister A Narayanaswamy unleashed a scathing attack on Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Accusing the Congress government of betraying the Madiga community, Narayanaswamy claimed that the CM has misled Dalits across the state after decades of their fight for internal reservation.
The Madiga community, along with 101 other castes, has been battling for internal quotas within Scheduled Castes for over 35 years. Narayanaswamy alleged that the government fed false hopes to job-seeking youth and Dalits statewide. ‘This is not just a betrayal of Madigas but a deception of all Dalits,’ he thundered.
Drawing comparisons, he pointed to Tamil Nadu’s robust implementation of 69% reservation under Article 9, which has empowered marginalized groups. In stark contrast, Karnataka’s Congress regime has shown zero intent in vigorously defending internal reservation cases in the High Court and Supreme Court, he charged.
Narayanaswamy questioned the utility of spending public money on surveys and commissions when their reports—such as those by Justices Sadashiva, Madhuswamy, and Nagmohan Das—are simply discarded. Despite passing a bill in the assembly and sending it to the Governor, the issue remains unresolved a year after the Supreme Court’s verdict, highlighting the government’s utter failure.
He demanded resignations from the CM, Dalit ministers, and 54 MLAs from SC/ST seats if they truly care for Dalit welfare. ‘Why are these leaders silent? Why don’t Dalit ministers raise their voice in cabinet meetings? If they can’t, they should quit,’ he asserted.
Announcing plans for a major agitation, Narayanaswamy called for the CM’s resignation. He highlighted 2.8 lakh vacant government posts and youth protests, slamming the recent cabinet decision to revert to the old reservation system as another ploy to mislead Dalits and job aspirants.
Citing examples from Chhattisgarh (58%) and Madhya Pradesh (57%) that exceeded the 50% cap post-Indra Sawhney, he accused Karnataka of weak legal arguments in court. The Madiga sub-castes, the most deprived for decades, were promised internal reservation by Congress before elections, a pledge now brazenly ignored.
Narayanaswamy portrayed Siddaramaiah as a fake champion of social justice, misleading the public. He referenced the Supreme Court’s August 1, 2024, ruling by a Constitution Bench, which empowers states for internal quotas aligning with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s constitutional vision for backward communities.