Tensions escalated on Tuesday as the Lingayat Panchamasali community’s protest near the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Belagavi turned violent, leaving 50 injured in clashes with the police. The community was demanding inclusion in the 2A category of the OBC reservation list, currently classified under 2B, a moderate category.
The violence erupted during the ‘Sangharsh Yatre,’ led by Basavajaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji, the spiritual head of the movement. Thousands of Panchamasali community members, including lawyers and politicians, marched from Kondasakoppa to the Vidhana Soudha, blocking the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for over an hour and causing a traffic jam stretching 6 km. When protesters attempted to breach police barricades, officers used lathi charges to disperse the crowd. The protesters retaliated by pelting stones and footwear at the police, while shouting slogans against the state government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The scuffle resulted in several injuries.
To restore order, the police briefly detained the Swamiji, Vijayapura MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Dharwad MLA Arvind Bellad, and other agitators. Earlier, a ministerial delegation including Laxmi Hebbalkar, HC Mahadevappa, K Venkatesh, and D Sudhakar had visited the protest site at Kondasakoppa, urging the demonstrators to call off the agitation. However, the protesters insisted on a visit from the CM and threatened to storm the Vidhana Soudha if their demands were ignored. The district administration later stated that minimal force was used after the protesters violated Dharwad High Court orders.
BJP Divided Over Agitation
Factionalism within the BJP surfaced during the agitation. Supporters of MLA Yatnal clashed with those of BJP state president BY Vijayendra, leading to heated arguments that required police intervention. Meanwhile, during a speech by BJP MP Iranna Kadadi, praising former CM BS Yediyurappa, some agitators shouted “sullu sullu” (false, false), further adding to the chaos.
CM Siddaramaiah Responds
Speaking to the media at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, CM Siddaramaiah remarked, “We invited Panchamasali leaders for discussions, but they didn’t come. We are not against protests; everyone has a democratic right to demonstrate.”
