Govt will do whatever is possible within the ambit of law and constitution: CM Yediyurappa
Reservation demands
Bengaluru, Feb 10: Amid demands from various communities in the state for better reservation, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday said that his government would do whatever was possible within the ambit of the law and the Constitution.
"We will put in honest efforts to do whatever is possible within the ambit of the Constitution and law.
What has been done in other states in the country, I can do it here," he told reporters here in response to a question.
The Chief Minister said the matter was being discussed and after consulting legal experts, the Advocate General and other important people, government would try to do whatever was possible.
There have been demands to revise the reservation for the Panchamasali Lingayat, Kuruba and Valmiki communities.
While the Panchamasali sect are asking for Category 2A status, the Kurubas are agitating for the Scheduled Tribe tag.
The Valmiki community too has been demanding that the reservation for ST be hiked from 3 per cent to 7.5 per cent.
Pontiffs of these politically influential communities are leading the agitation, pushing the Yediyurappa-led government to a difficult spot.
Kudalasangama Panchamasali Mutt pontiff Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami, who is spearheading the Category 2A stir, is leading a padayatra to Bengaluru to press for their demand.
Yediyurappa recently ordered the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes to prepare a report on including the Panchamasali sub-sect under Category 2A.
The Kurubas too had recently organised a padayatra, led by Kaginele Kanakaguru Peeta seer Niranjanandapuri Swami, from Kaginele to Bengaluru and had organised a mammoth rally on Sunday near here, demanding the ST tag.
They are currently OBCs in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, Maharshi Valmiki Gurupeetha Seer Prasannananda Swami has warned that he would go on an indefinite fast if the hike in reservation was not announced within a month.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Car driver alleges assault by auto drivers after minor road incident in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): In a suspected case of road rage, a car driver was allegedly chased and assaulted by two autorickshaw drivers following a minor road incident on Sarjapur Road here, police said on Monday.
The incident occurred on March 25 around 8.20 pm when Shriraj Bhardwaj, a native of Ajmer in Rajasthan, and his colleague were driving on Sarjapur Road and allegedly encountered an autorickshaw coming from the wrong side of the road, they said.
The victim later lodged an online complaint regarding the incident on March 26.
A senior police officer said that in this connection, a Non-Cognisable Report (NCR) has already been registered at the Bellandur Police Station and further investigation into the matter is underway.
Registration of NCR means the complaint has been noted in the station diary, but a formal FIR and investigation will require further legal steps or magistrate approval, police said.
Following the incident, Bhardwaj took to 'X', recalling the episode and claiming that it began with a negligible touch between the vehicles that caused no damage.
"What followed was not an argument, it was a chase. The auto driver started aggressively chasing us, trying to block our car multiple times in moving traffic, hitting the vehicle, and attempting to open the doors. We chose not to engage and instead tried to reach a safe place," he alleged.
According to him, the situation escalated when another autorickshaw joined the chase. Together, they allegedly blocked their path near Sarjapur Bridge, and one of them picked up a concrete stone and smashed the windshield of his car while they were still inside.
"We somehow managed to reach RGA Tech Park, thinking a gated office space would mean safety. It didn't. Both drivers followed us inside. Before I could even step out of the car, I was physically assaulted, repeatedly hit in the face, leaving me injured," he alleged.
"Only after things calmed down did the main accused flee. When the police arrived, the second driver apologised in front of them," Bhardwaj further alleged.
He said that following the incident, he has made up his mind to leave Bengaluru and never return.
Bellandur police said they have registered a non-cognisable report and traced the autorickshaw driver.
"The complainant is yet to record his statement for further action. We have been trying to contact him but he informed us that he is out of state. Further inquiry into the matter is underway," the officer said.
The auto driver, however, has alleged that his vehicle was damaged and that he was asking them to stop the car to resolve the issue, but they did not stop, which led to the incident.
