BJP appeals to people to identify themselves as Hindus during caste census

Bengaluru, Sep 19 (PTI) Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Friday claimed that the Congress government has decided to divide the Hindu religion through its Social and Educational Survey, or caste census, and called on people to identify themselves as Hindus in the religion column.

Recently, Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha had appealed to the people of its community to mention themselves as Veerashaiva-Lingayat in the religion column.

The survey is scheduled to take place between September 22 and October 7, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore.

"We have resolved in the BJP's political 'Chintan Shivir' (brainstorming session) that during the census, people belonging to any caste or community must mention only 'Hindu' under the religion column," the Shikaripura MLA told reporters at a press conference here.

He alleged, "The Congress government has turned the survey into an exercise to divide the Hindu society." He clarified that the caste and sub-caste identification was left to the respective communities to decide, but urged that, "in the interest of the nation and the state, everyone must write 'Hindu' under the religion column." Vijayendra accused the Congress government in Karnataka of going ahead with the caste census despite states having no authority to conduct it.

"They have created 47 new castes--Christian Lingayat, Christian Vokkaliga, Christian Weaver, Christian Scheduled Caste, Tribe--thus creating confusion," he alleged.

The BJP leader said that after the Siddaramaiah government came to power in Karnataka, there had been several discussions about the Kantharaju report.

"We had opposed this report as being unscientific. Siddaramaiah's government had thrown the Kantharaju report into the dustbin only because Rahul Gandhi had said so," he alleged.

The State Backward Classes Commission, under its then chairperson H Kantharaju, was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018 towards the end of Siddaramaiah’s first tenure as Chief Minister, and the report was finalised by his successor K Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024.

Vijayendra further criticised that even the earlier Siddaramaiah's government had created confusion by calling Veerashaiva-Lingayat a separate religion and "setting fire in society." Vijayendra said that two major resolutions were passed at the Shivir.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NDA government has simplified GST. People of the state and the country are happy with this decision," he said, adding that the Shivir unanimously congratulated Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. PTI GMS KH