Tue Dec 10 12:44:00 UTC 2024: ## Karnataka Quota Protests Turn Violent: Police Lathi-Charge on Lingayat Panchamasali Demonstrators

**Belagavi, Karnataka:** Protests demanding increased quotas for the Lingayat Panchamasali community turned violent in Belagavi, Karnataka, on Tuesday. A large demonstration led by religious head Basavajaya Mrityunjay Swamiji resulted in a police lathi-charge after protesters attempted to breach security and march on the Vidhan Soudha, the state assembly building, during its winter session.

The clashes left several protesters injured, with videos circulating online showing bloody injuries and widespread damage to government and MLA vehicles. Swamiji and numerous supporters, along with opposition BJP lawmakers, were taken into preventive custody. The violence followed threats by protesters to lay siege to the Vidhan Soudha if their demands for a 15% reservation (up from the current 5%) in education and government jobs were not met.

The incident has sparked a political row between the ruling Congress and the BJP. BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal accused the Congress government of using excessive force against peaceful protesters, a sentiment echoed by BJP spokesperson GS Prashanth, who alleged the police action was deliberate. Prashanth further suggested the Congress’s actions were motivated by a desire to reinstate a 4% Muslim quota. The Congress, in turn, accuses the BJP of reneging on a Supreme Court affidavit regarding reservation quotas.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that he had met with other Lingayat Panchamasali leaders and promised assistance, pending the submission of a report from the state’s Backward Classes Commission. The Panchamasali community, a significant voting bloc that heavily supported the Congress in the last assembly election, is seeking a substantial increase to its existing quota. The death of former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna led to the adjournment of the Assembly for the day, delaying further political debate on the issue.

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