Bengaluru, DHNS: Decision after backward classes panel submits report. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said his government was committed to the uplift of the Reddy community and would make efforts to include the community under ‘2A’ category of other backward classes (OBC).

Speaking after inaugurating the Reddy community convention organised at Palace Grounds here, Siddaramaiah said: “To provide reservation to the community in education and employment, we will request the Centre to add them to the ‘2A’ category. A decision to instal the statue of Kyasamballi Chengalaraya Reddy, the first chief minister of Karnataka (then Mysore state), in front of Vidhana Soudha would be taken up after discussion with legal experts as the matter was in court.”

Earlier, members from the community handed over a memorandum to the chief minister listing out several demands, including celebration of Hemareddy Mallamma Jayanti and Mahayogi Vemana Jayanti by the government, setting up of universities named after Mallamma and Vemana and inclusion of the community in ‘2A’ category.

Siddaramaiah promised the members of the community that the government would strive to meet their demands at the earliest. He said he would take a decision on including the Reddy community under ‘2A’ category, after receiving the report from the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission.

State BJP president

Yeddyurappa said his party would pressure the state and central governments to include the Reddy community under the ‘2A’ category.