Bangaluru : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Basavanna, Kanakadasa, Ambedkar and Vemana were not confined to one caste. All of them are Vishwamanavas.

He was speaking at Shri Mahayogi Vemana Jayanti organized by Kannada and Culture Department at Ravindra Kalakshetra.

Basavadi Sharana as well as Vemana is the property of mankind. Kuvempu’s words that every child is born a Vishwamanava. They grow up and become alpamanavas is true. Vemana explained that though he was accidentally born in the Reddy community, he is needed for the entire mankind, the CM explained.

We must not be superstitious even after being educated. The CM gave a call to come out of superstition through the light of education.

The CM assured that the government is ready to provide land to the educational institution of Reddy Jana Sangha. He said that it was during our period that the Statue of the first Chief Minister of the state, K.C. Reddy, was allowed to be placed in Vidhana Soudha.

During g my first tenure as Chief Minister, the government passed an order to celebrate Vemana Jayanti. Our government stands by the poor of all castes and religions. He explained that our government is designing and implementing programmes for the poor and middle class of all castes.

Kannada and Culture Department Minister Shivaraj Thangadagi, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Karnataka Reddy Jana Sangha President S. Jayaram Reddy, Gangavathi MLA Janardhan Reddy, former Minister H. M. Revanna were present.

Writer and folklorist Dr. K.R Sandhya Reddy gave a special lecture.