Call to include Veera Saivas in OBC category

Kurnool : The members of Veera Saiva Lingayat and Linga Balija OBC Sadhana Samithi have demanded the State government to identify their community under OBC category. With this demand, Sadhana Samithi members staged a protest at Dharna Chowk here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, State Samithi member Kasi Viswanath pointed out that they are not getting government benefits, only a meagre 7 per cent of the benefits, since they were included in BC-D category.

Stating that the same BC-D category is being identified as OBC by the Centre, hence they are getting 27 per cent reservations.

He urged the State government to identify them under OBC category.

Another member Vijay Kumar said that their children are losing several benefits in education and employment sectors as they were listed under BC-D category. He demanded the government to pass a resolution in the Assembly, adding that it is not the issue of Kurnool district only, but of the entire State, he said. He informed that members of Veera Saivas of Kadapa, Anantapur and other districts also staged protests on the same issue.

Other members of Sadhana Samithi, Veerabhadrappa, Suresh, Lingaiah, Manjunath, Somesh, Rambabu, Chandra Raju, Neelappa and others participated.