Priyank Kharge: Delegation will be taken to Centre urging to include Koli-Kabbaliga community in STs list

The Hindu

2 days ago

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister and Kalaburagi District in charge Priyank Kharge said that a delegation would soon be taken to the Centre urging it to include the Koli and Kabbaliga communities in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list.
Speaking at the inauguration of Nijasharana Ambigara Chowdaiya Raitha Bhavana in Honnakiranagi village, built at a cost of ₹50 lakh, and the foundation-laying of development works worth ₹2.4 crore, Mr. Priyank said he had already written to the Union government in this regard.
'Although our party is not in power at the Centre, we will discuss the matter with Backward Classes Welfare Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi and take a delegation to rectify the lapses pointed out by the Centre in this regard,' he said.
Reiterating Congress party's commitment to ensuring economic and social justice as enshrined in the Preamble to the Constitution, Mr. Priyank said that his party, whenever came to power, made sincere efforts to uplift the most marginalised sections of society.
Reaffirming his commitment to the development of the Choudadampur region, he said a statue of Ambigara Chowdaiya would be installed in a prominent location in Bengaluru.
He also announced that a ₹4 crore district-level Ambigara Chowdaiya Bhavana had been completed and would be inaugurated soon in the presence of the Chief Minister and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Terming Ambigara Chowdaiya as a true Sharana (reformer) who reflected social reality and human values through his Vachana compositions, the Minister urged the youth to understand the Sharana philosophy.
'BJP leaders are using poor youths for religious fanaticism while sending their own children abroad for education. Communities like Koli, Kabbaliga, Edigas, and Mogaveeras must remain cautious about such divisive agendas,' he added.
'BJP designs won't work'
Earlier in the day, the Minister inaugurated the newly constructed Praja Soudha in Chittapur town, built at a cost of ₹18.41 crore. Speaking at the event after distributing benefits to 517 beneficiaries under various government schemes, he said that government offices must be people-friendly to ensure good governance.
'The old term 'Mini Vidhana Soudha' is being replaced with Praja Soudha to reflect the idea that administration should be closer to the people. The government belongs to the people, and their work should continue uninterrupted,' he said.
Accusing the BJP of political opportunism and stoking communal divisions, Mr. Priyank said that the saffron party's experiments in Mangaluru and coastal Karnataka cannot be replicated in this region.
'This land represents harmony and inclusivity. BJP's attempts at communal politics will not work here. The BJP had politicised even the death of a youth in Bidar to create communal divide. But it didn't work,' he said,