Former Union Minister A. Narayanaswamy criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Karnataka state government for betraying the Madiga community, which had fought for internal reservation for 35 years. He accused the government of deceiving not only the Madiga community but also Dalits across the state, alleging that job-seeking youth had been misled as well. Narayanaswamy highlighted Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation model under Article 9, contrasting it with Karnataka’s approach.
He further criticized the Karnataka Congress-led government for its lack of effort in advocating for internal reservation in the courts, questioning the expenditure on surveys and reports. Narayanaswamy emphasized the government’s failure to address internal reservation even a year after a Supreme Court ruling. He demanded the resignation of Chief Minister, Dalit ministers, and 54 MLAs from Scheduled Caste reserved constituencies if they truly cared about Dalits.
Narayanaswamy called out the silence of Dalit ministers and legislators on the issue, urging them to speak up or step down. He announced plans for protests and called for the Chief Minister’s resignation. Highlighting the high number of vacant government posts in the state, he criticized the government’s decision to revert to the old reservation system. Narayanaswamy suggested that Karnataka could legally exceed the 50% reservation limit for social justice, citing examples from other states.
