BJP MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi has said that an officer in the Hukkeri Tahsildar office has filed a false affidavit before the High Court of Karnataka saying that the Bedar Valmiki community that he belongs to is not categorised under Scheduled Tribes.
“The community has been getting Scheduled Tribes benefits for over five decades now. How can any officer deny this? I think the officer has acted under political pressure. I will request the State government to order an inquiry against the officer and punish him,” he said. He, however, did not name the officer.
Ramesh Jarkiholi suspected that Ramesh Katti, who attracted a charge of insulting the Bedar Valmiki community during the recent DCC Bank elections, forced the officer to submit such a document to court to obtain anticipatory bail.
“Ramesh Katti must have got this done, to escape arrest under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. However, officers should not succumb to such political pressure,” he said.
He said that the community leaders will hold consultations with seers and decide if they have to take up agitations on the street or to approach the courts. “I will also raise this issue during the Winter Session,” he added.
“It is unfortunate that such things are happening despite the Chief Minister being from the backward classes, Home Minister from the Scheduled Castes communities and the district in-charge Minister from the Scheduled Tribes communities,” he said.
Published – November 24, 2025 08:37 pm IST
