Panchamasali quota: Yatnal-Nirani fight puts Bommai in a fix

BSY had threatened to walk out of a function organised by the Panchamasali Mutt of Sri Vachanananda

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: For Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, brokering peace between Large & Medium Scale Industries Minister Murgesh Nirani and Vijayapura City MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal has become a bigger challenge than fulfilling the demand of the powerful Panchamasali community for a quota.

Since the issue of reservation for the Panchamasali community took centre stage, Yatnal and Nirani are trading charges even before the media. Of late, their war of words has stooped to such a low that they have resorted to attacking each other on their personal lives.

While Yatnal is backed by Sri Jaya Mrutyhyunjaya Swamiji of the Panchamasali Peeta, Koodalasangama, Nirani is supported by Sri Vachananda Swamiji of the Panchamasali Mutt, Davangere. This fight has become a big headache for the party in general and the CM in particular.

The Vijayapura MLA feels that Swamy Vachanananda is trying to hijack the long-drawn struggle of the Panchamasali community demanding a hike in reservation which was led by Sri Mruthyunjaya Swamiji. Besides, Yatnal has accused the seer of dividing the community to create the impression that the BJP government headed by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has done a lot for them.

The former union minister has slammed CM Bommai for trying to give a raw deal for the Panchamasali community which has a 1.2 crore population in Karnataka. Minister Niran reportedly arranged a meeting between Swamy Vachanananda and the CM over the quota issue which has angered Yatnal.

Yediyurappa, when he was CM, had threatened to walk out of a function organised by the Panchamasali Mutt of Sri Vachanananda when the latter said something which was not liked by the veteran BJP leader. The then Home Minister, Basavaraj Bommai who was seated on the dais, had calmed Yediyurappa.

Recently, after the government announced the creation of a separate category to fulfill the longpending demands of the Panchamasali community, Nirani welcomed the decision but Yatnal opposed it and wanted Bommai to continue the community in the same category with a hike in the quota for them.

Two days later, Yatnal issued a warning to the CM asking him to decide on the reservation issue for the community depending on which the community would work out its future course of action. The BJP is not in a position to silence Yatnal by taking disciplinary action because it would make the entire community go against the saffron party.