BJP accuses Congress of 'dividing' Hindus through caste survey in Karnataka

Bengaluru, Sep 21 (PTI) Opposition BJP on Sunday accused the ruling Congress leadership and the Karnataka government of "attempting to divide" the Hindu community in the name of the Social and Educational Survey, also known as the caste census.

BJP leaders urged people, irrespective of caste or class, to enumerate their religion as Hindu in the interest of the country’s unity, integrity and security. The survey is scheduled between September 22 and October 7, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore.

They also questioned the need for the survey when the Centre has already announced caste enumeration in the national census.

BJP state president B Y Vijayendra appealed to people of all castes and sections not to become "victims to the conspiracies of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government." Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, he said, "The state government has no right or powers to do any caste census, despite going ahead with it. I appeal to everyone that in the religion column during the survey, we should all mention it as Hindu without fail." "You may write your caste and subcaste according to your community. We should write Hindu as our religion for the sake of the country’s unity, integrity and security. For the unity of Hindu society, it is our duty to mention Hindu as our religion," he added.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Pralhad Joshi, speaking in Hubballi with reporters, alleged that the Congress is "conspiring under the instructions of its leader Sonia Gandhi and her fake Gandhi family to divide the Hindu society." "The Congress is conspiring to divide Hindu society, give voting to infiltrators, and weaken the country," he claimed.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka alleged that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is using the survey to "divide Hindus, and that anti-Hindu policy has become part of its agenda since coming to power." He said the caste list prepared for the survey, which includes castes with dual identities—such as ‘Kuruba Christian,’ ‘Brahmin Christian,’ and ‘Vokkaliga Christian’—was drawn up by Siddaramaiah to appease the Christian community and the Congress high command, ensuring his continuation as CM amid intra-party power struggles.

"Under the direction of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, this government is trying to divide the Hindu community...facilitating religious conversion seems to be the idea behind it," he claimed.

Ashoka further alleged, "The agenda of the Congress is to report the Hindu population as less; hence, this survey is being done. Karnataka is the laboratory for them to divide Hindus, Siddaramaiah is the headmaster." PTI KSU SSK ADB