DH News Service

BANGALORE: Members of the Karnataka Dalit Sangarsh Samiti (Secular) today staged demonstrations in front the residences of ministers and legislators, elected from the reserved constituencies, protesting against their alleged failure to protect the interests of Dalits in the State.

The members of the Samiti staged demonstrations in front of the residences of Home Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge, Forest Minister K H Ranganath and Women and Child Development Minister Motamma in the city this morning.

The protesters demanded the immediate implementation of the Supreme Court judgement passed in December 2000 with regard to protecting the interests of SC/ST employees and officials in government service, filling up of 25,000 backlog vacancies, establishing a commission for SC/STs, distributing land among in rural areas and fixing responsibility on the SP's and the DSP's in the districts for atrocities committed on Dalits. Later Home Minister Mallik-arjuna Kharge reportedly said that he would hold discussions with the chief minister on the issue.