Nirani vs Yatnal: Nadda to intervene amid ugly tiff

On December 29, the Bommai administration had created two new categories namely 2C and 2D to expand the quotas of Vokkaligas and Panchamasalis

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Even as Vijayapura MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal has been targeting the Karnataka BJP leadership, the party’s central leadership has decided to intervene in the matter.

Yatnal on Monday disclosed that BJP national president JP Nadda had invited him to New Delhi to discuss the issue at the earliest. He added that Nadda himself would come down to Vijaypura on Saturday to hold a dialogue on the issue.

The intervention comes in the backdrop of the ugly spat between BJP’s Panchamasali leaders Yatnal, Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani, his brother MLC Sangamesh Nirani and State Public Works Department (PWD) Minister CC Patil. Yatnal had also termed Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai a liar. The Vijayapura MLA had indirectly termed Nirani a pimp, with the latter threatening to cut off Yatnal’s tongue.

On Monday, Yatnal remained unapologetic, saying Nadda had asked him not to get into verbal spats with certain ‘jokers’, referencing Minister Nirani. Meanwhile, fearing a backlash from the Panchamasalis, the most populous sect among Lingayats, Nadda finally seems to have stepped in.

“I got a phone call from Delhi and the high command assured me that they would convene a meeting to deliberate the Panchamasali quota issue at the earliest. We hope that the problem will soon be resolved. The Central leaders understand the issue. They are aware of what the outcome would be if they don’t deliver justice to such a populous community. JP Nadda will come down to Vijayapura on January 21 and we will deliberate the matter with him,” Yatnal said.

What is the issue?

In response to the approval by the State government to implement the recommendations of the Nagmohan Das Commission to expand the quota for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), other populous communities such as Panchamasalis, Vokkaligas and Kurubas had come up with reservation demands of their own.

The Panchamasalis have been demanding inclusion in the 2A category, which would enable them to seek reservation under 15 percent quota. On December 29, the Bommai administration had instead created two new categories namely 2C and 2D to expand the quotas of Vokkaligas and Panchamasalis, carving out space for them under the 10 per cent Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) quota.

However, the communities roundly rejected the proposal. Lingayats currently get five per cent quota under the 2D category. Moreover, on Thursday when the Karnataka High Court stayed the State government’s decision to carve out the two new categories and ordered that the status quo be maintained.

Panchamasali leaders like seer of Kudalasangama mutt Jaya Mruthyunjaya and Vijayapura BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal on Friday staged a protest in Haveri district’s Shiggaon town, Bommai’s constituency even burning the CM’s effigy