Mysore/Mysuru: Accusing the Congress and JD(S) of doing little for Scheduled communities, Minister for Transport and ST Welfare, B. Sriramulu said it is only the BJP which has rendered justice to SC/ST communities.

He was addressing a preliminary meeting at the party office in Chamarajapuram here on Thursday ahead of BJP ST Morcha’s mammoth rally to take place at Ballari on Nov.20.

Maintaining that he took the lead in the struggle for getting caste certificates (ST certificates) to Parivara and Talawar sub-sects of Scheduled Tribes, Sriramulu said that the previous Government had failed in addressing the issue. Now the BJP Government in the State has done it, for which the credit should go entirely to the party.

Lashing out at Congress and JD(S) leaders for doing nothing for the community when in power, he said that the BJP Government led by Basavaraj Bommai  has taken a historic decision to hike reservation for ST community from 3 to 7 percent and from 15 to 17 percent for SC.

Hitting out at his opponents for unnecessarily criticising him, Sriramulu asserted that Yediyurappa and Bommai have done what Siddharamaiah and other Congress leaders could not do.

Asserting that the Nov. 20 ST Morcha rally at Ballari would be a historic one, Sriramulu asked party workers from Mysuru region and across the State  to take part in the rally in lakhs. He further said that Prime Minister Modi would be invited to participate in the rally.

Questioning what the Congress has done for the welfare of ST communities, he invited the Opposition leaders for a debate on the issue.

BJP ST Morcha State President Thipparaj Havaldar and General Secretary Siddaraju, a former MLC, too addressed the party workers.

Mayor Shivakumar, ZAK Chairman M. Shivakumar, City BJP President T.S. Srivatsa, District President Mangala Somashekar, leaders M.Appanna, Lakshmana, Mallesh Nayaka and others were present.