A demonstration led by the Lingayat Panchamasali community near Suvarna Vidhana Soudha in Karnataka's Belagavi on Tuesday escalated into violence, leaving 50 protesters injured during clashes with the police. The protest was part of a larger demand for reclassification under the 2A reservation category, which provides a 15% quota in government jobs and education, as opposed to the current 5% quota they receive under the 3B category.

The demonstration was organised as part of the Sangharsh Yatre, spearheaded by Basavajaya Mrityunjaya Swamiji, the spiritual leader of the movement. Thousands of community members, including lawyers and politicians, participated in a march from Kondasakoppa to Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, disrupting traffic on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway for over an hour. The blockade caused a massive tailback stretching more than six kilometers.

Tensions escalated when protesters attempted to breach police barricades. In response, the police resorted to lathi-charge to control the crowd. The situation quickly turned hostile as enraged protesters retaliated by hurling stones and footwear at police personnel while shouting slogans against the state government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The incident highlights the community's ongoing struggle for increased representation and the challenges faced by authorities in managing large-scale protests.

Later, responding to media queries at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah said, "We invited the Panchamasali leaders to discuss the issue, but they didn't turn up. We are not opposed to protests as everybody has the right to protest in a democracy."

Factionalism within the state BJP came to the forefront during the Lingayat Panchamasali protest in Belagavi. Tensions erupted when followers of BJP leader Umesh Yatnal began shouting slogans against BJP state president B Y Vijayendra. This led to a confrontation with party MLA Siddu Savadi, resulting in heated arguments between the two factions. The situation became tense, prompting police intervention to restore order.

Adding to the embarrassment for the BJP, during the speech of Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi, who praised former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, the protesters began chanting "sullu sullu" (false false), further intensifying the discord and exposing rifts within the party during the ongoing demonstration.