Despite tight security arrangements, members of Karnataka Rajya Talwar ST Horata Samiti waved black flags at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Chowk in Kalaburagi on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
As Mr. Bommai arrived at the circle to garland the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to begin his scheduled programmes in the city organised as part of the Kalyana Karnataka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations, the activists emerged from the crowd and waved black flags demanding Scheduled Tribes tag to the Talwar community.
The police immediately rushed in and prevented the protesters from moving forward and facilitated the safe departure of the chief minister. The agitating activists were later detained and taken to the University police station.
“During the campaign for the Basavakalyan, Maski and Sindagi byelections, the BJP government had assured it would fix the problem and start issuing ST certificates to Talwar community members soon after the byelections. However, it did not keep its words. When Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai arrived in Kalaburagi on November 17 last year to participate in the journalists’ conference, he had assured that his government would start issuing ST certificates to Talwar community members within 48 hours. He had also told us not to allow him in Kalaburagi if he failed to keep his words. He failed, so we protested today, as he himself had told us to,” Sardar Rayappa, president of Karnataka Rajya Talwar ST Horata Samiti, told The Hindu from police custody.
“If the government continues to ignore our demand, we will have to intensify our struggle. Assembly elections are approaching and we will take it up as a campaign. We will form teams and go to each village and convince Talwar community members to defeat the BJP. All community members, cutting across party lines and ideological affiliations, are involved in the struggle and we will teach a lesson to the BJP,” Rajendra Rajwal, another activist in police custody, said.
