Belagavi: Members of Panchamasali community on Thursday held a mega convention near Suvarna Soudha demanding reservation under 2A category.
Suvarna Soudha is where the winter session of the state legislature is underway.
The convention was led by Kudalasangama Mutt seer Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya who led the padyatra which began from Savadatti and reached Belagavi on Thursday.
The Panchamsalis, a sub-sect of the Veerashaiva-Lingayats, have been demanding to classify them under 2A of Other Backward Classes category which guarantees 15 per cent reservation. At present the community is classified under the 3B category, where they get 5 per cent reservation.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has convened a cabinet meeting today. The community is the traditional voters of the BJP in North Karnataka.
Today, the Karnataka State Permanent Backward Classes Commission Chairman Jayaprakash Hegde submitted an interim report to the CM. On Wednesday, Bommai said a decision would be taken after getting a report from the Backward Classes Commission.
There are already 102 castes in the 2A category and they have been demanding the government not to include Panchamasalis in the classification as it would further reduce their chance of getting a reservation.
Basava Jaya Mruthyunjaya seer of Kudalasangama Mutt had earlier flayed former chief minister BS Yediyurappa of obstructing the 2A reservation for the community.
Even BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, who belongs to the Panchamsali community, has been indirectly targeting Yediyurappa by urging Bommai to reveal as to who was stopping him from taking a decision.
