Karnataka: SC, ST students gherao CM Bommai's car, warn of hunger strike if promised laptops remain undelivered

The Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students of Karnataka's Rani Channamma University protested in front of the car of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and demanded immediate distribution of promised laptops.

The incident took place as Bommai moved towards his car after laying the foundation stone for the new campus of the varsity in Belgaum district. A total of 316 SC and ST postgraduate students of this varsity have been waiting for laptops from the government for a while now. However, every time the students take the issue to the varsity authorities, they are told that the government has not yet released the funds under the SC Special Component Plan (SCP) and Tribal Sub Plan (TSP). 

The Chief Minister heard the plea of students and assured them that the laptops would soon be distributed amongst the beneficiaries. However, Bommai's words have no impact on the agitated students as they have decided to stage a hunger strike in front of the registrar's office on December 23.