Bommai, Yediyurappa have breakfast at Dalit home

Hospet, Oct 12

As BJP leaders continued their Jan Sankalp Yatra in Karnataka for a second day on Wednesday, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and his predecessor B.S. Yediyurappa had breakfast at the home of Hirala Kollappa, a Dalit man, in Kamalapur village near Hospet.

The two were accompanied by Ministers Govind Karajol and Anand Singh.

The move is being seen as a damage-control exercise after it came to light on Tuesday that a BJP supporter in Chikkamagaluru district had held 14 Dalits captive and tortured them.

One of the captives, who was pregnant, suffered a miscarriage after she was assaulted.

The ruling BJP in Karnataka had on Tuesday sounded the poll bugle with its Jan Sankalp Yatra from Raichur district.

The yatra is also part of its strategy to counter Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra which is currently passing through the state.

Ahead of the Assembly polls scheduled in the first half of next year, the ruling BJP is making all out efforts to reach out to the Dalit community in the state.

On October 8, the Bommai cabinet had decided to enhance reservations for the SC/STs.