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Protests over the Lingayat Panchamasali community’s demand for quotas turned violent in Karnataka’s Belagavi Tuesday after an agitation led by the community’s religious head, Basavajaya Mrityunjay Swamiji, was lathi-charged. The protesters were trying to break a security cordon and move towards the Vidhan Soudha, the winter session of which began Monday.

The protesters had threatened to march on, and lay siege to, the Vidhan Soudha if their demands aren’t met. In response, police took a number of lawmakers from the opposition BJP and Mrityunjay Swamiji, as well as many of his supporters, were taken into preventive custody.

Videos of the aftermath showed torn footwear scattered across the road and cops arguing with the remaining protesters. One particularly disturbing video showed a protester with a bloody bandage on his head and bloodstains on his white shirt; a policeman was trying to take him away, possibly into custody, but he was being heckled and questioned by other protesters.

One video of the lathi-charge showed a small army of cops bearing down on the protesters, who broke ranks and were being led away by the authorities into one of several parked police buses.

In the clash the protesters also damaged government vehicles and those belonging to MLAs.

Also, earlier today, as protesters gathered, police vehicles were forcibly shifted.

The Panchamasali sect of the Lingayats – an influential community that swung heavily in favour of the Congress as it won last year’s Assembly election – currently has five per cent reservation for state-run educational institutions and government jobs. It now wants a 15 per cent quota.

This morning’s visuals showed a small army of protesters waving saffron-coloured paraphernalia, gathered around their leader and shouting slogans.

Another shows a fierce argument off-camera and protesters cheering – some even whoop in apparent joy – as a fire truck is forced to pull away from the protest site. A third shows Mrityunjay Swamiji perched on the side of the car as it inches through a sea of his saffron-clad supporters.

The face-off between protesters and the Lingayat Panchamasali community members today also played out in the Karnataka Assembly Monday, the first day of this session, with the BJP’s Basanagouda Patil Yatnal arguing with his Congress counterparts.

They have spent years preparing for exams organised by the Madhya Pradesh government, seeing them as their ticket out of poverty, but persistent delays in organising the tests have put over 2 lakh candidates at risk of crossing the eligibility age limit and having their dreams shattered forever. 

The Madhya Pradesh Employees Selection Board (ESB) had said it would conduct eight exams by November this year, but only two have been held, adding to the frustration of candidates. The Sub-Inspector and Mahila Supervisor exams, for instance, have not been held since 2017. Under the Examination Act of 1937, recruitment exams are supposed to be conducted annually

Results for several key exams, including for Sub-Engineers and Forest Guards, have also been pending since 2023, affecting two lakh students

The government of the state, which has 26 lakh registered unemployed youth, has said efforts are on to address the delays.

Prince Gautam from Satna came to Bhopal in 2017 to prepare for the Sub-Inspector (SI) exam. After failing to clear the exam that year, he stayed in the city, working as a daily wage labourer to support his studies. Today, Prince fears becoming over-age, rendering years of hard work futile.

“I came here to study, but poverty forced me into labour. There has been no recruitment since 2017, and I am losing hope,” said Mr Gautam.

Ajit Kumar, another candidate from Umaria, has only a year left before he crosses the eligibility age limit and said he feels abandoned by the system.

“My father is a small farmer. I’ve been waiting for the SI exam for seven years. If this continues, my dream will die,” said Mr Kumar.

For Pooja Kushwaha of Satna, the struggle extends beyond her studies. Married and managing household responsibilities, she has been preparing for the Mahila Supervisor exam since 2017.

“This is my last year before becoming over-age. My family tells me to quit dreaming of a job and focus on my children. But how can I give up after so much effort?” she lamented.

Dinesh Chauhan, from the Madhya Pradesh Unemployed Association, criticised the lack of timely exams. “Age matters in uniformed jobs. Every year, lakhs of youth fall out of eligibility due to delays. The government must act,” he said.

Congress leader Avnish Bundela also questioned the government’s commitment to employment. “Unemployment is rising, and the government must explain why recruitment exams are not happening,” he said.

Government’s Take

Madhya Pradesh Skill Development and Employment Minister Gautam Tetwal said the government is working to address the delays. “We are committed to conducting exams and releasing results on time with full transparency. Efforts are being made to remove errors,” he said.

The Director of the Employees Selection Board, Saket Malviya, also promised timely action. “We are working responsibly and ensuring exams are conducted on schedule,” he said.