Harihar, Apr 4: With many communities demanding reservation under various categories, the Karnataka government has filed an affidavit to increase the reservation cap in the state, State Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Sunday.

"The state government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court to increase the reservation to more than 50 per cent to protect the interests of the backward classes," Bommai said at a function at the Sri Kaginele Mahasamsthana Kanaka Guru Peeth, here.

According to him, there was a consensus in the Cabinet meeting in this regard and accordingly the affidavit was filed in the Supreme Court.

"We are expecting a good decision from the Supreme Court," the Home Minister said.

The minister said the state government was committed to increasing the reservation.

Since various communities have applied for reservation, including the Halumath community demanding ST tag, reservation limit has to be increased above 50 per cent.

Bommai also underlined that the Kuruba community wanted themselves to be categorised as Scheduled Tribe.

In this regard, the government would undertake a study of genealogy. He, however, pointed out that increasing reservation was a challenge because it has to be legally tenable, it should be practical and within the framework of the constitution.

To deal with the new challenge, a panel of experts, headed by a retired judge, has been formed so that no one should question this decision in future, the minister said.

Speaking about the BJP government in Karnataka, Bommai said the government has been looking after all the communities and religions equally without any bias.

He added that the Chief Minister has been extending every support to all the communities in the state.

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.



Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.

In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”

He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.

Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.

While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.

In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.

Get all the latest, breaking news from Karnataka in a single click. CLICK HERE to get all the latest news from Karnataka.