Mysore/Mysuru: Alleging that the recent reservation hike for SC and ST communities announced by the BJP was a mere political gimmick of the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls, Congress MLC Dr. D. Thimmaiah accused the BJP of misleading backward sections of the society.

He was speaking after inaugurating ‘BJP Alisi – Meesalaati Ulisi’ (Erase BJP- Save Reservation) campaign launched by Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagruta Vedike at a private hotel in city recently.

Expressing concern over the confusions created by the BJP over reservation, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the BJP Government did not take any concrete measures for the upliftment and empowerment of the Backward Classes and Scheduled communities in its four years of power in the State. But now, keeping an eye on the Assembly polls, the BJP is announcing a flurry of reservations, which is nothing but a political stunt ahead.

Terming the BJP’s spree on the formation of Development Corporations for each community as just an eyewash, Dr. Thimmaiah called upon the communities to be aware of the BJP’s deceitful plans. Accusing BJP of enacting a drama in the name of reservation hike, he maintained that the reservation re-classification announced by the BJP Government recently, will not be implemented at all. The BJP has played with the reservation issue just for securing votes, he said adding that the BJP was always against the backward sections of the society.

Vedike President K.S. Shivaram in his address, asserted that the BJP and the RSS were anti-reservation in nature and as such they were creating confusions and divisions among the backward communities. Charging the BJP of following a ‘Divide and Rule’ policy for the sake of power, he said that the BJP must be voted out of power in order to save the Constitution.

Savitha Samaja District President N.R. Nagesh and several others too spoke.

The meeting decided to support the Congress in the May 10 Assembly polls and to strengthen the hands of former CM Siddharamaiah, who as a Congress Chief Minister had come up with genuine plans and programmes for the welfare, upliftment and empowerment of backward classes and other marginalised communities. The meeting also sought 15 percent reservation for backward classes in Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, Rs.100 crore grant for every Board and Corporation set up for backward classes welfare and preference to backward class and oppressed sections candidates in the selection of Congress party candidates  for the Assembly polls,  among others.

Earlier, tributes were paid to Veena Dhruvanarayan, wife of late KPCC Working President and former MP R. Dhruvanarayan, who passed away on Friday morning.

Former Rangayana Director H. Janardhan(Janni), Kumbara Sangha District President H.S. Prakash, Madiwala Sangha District President Ravinandan,Uppara Sangha District President Yogesh Uppar, Vishwakarma Jagruta Vedike District President K. Kendaganna Vishwakarma, Nele-Hinnele Samsthe’s Gopalakrishna, leaders Nagabhushan, M.A. Kamala Anantaramu, Chaya, Shobha, Lokesh Madapura, Mahendra Kaginele, Satyanarayan and others were present.