BJP takes dig at Siddaramaiah, govt after Cong high command asks for re-enumeration of caste data

Bengaluru, June 10 (PTI) Karnataka BJP on Tuesday took a dig at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the ruling Congress in the state, after the party's high command asked the government to hold re-enumeration of caste data in the state.

Karnataka BJP General Secretary Sunil Kumar demanded that Siddaramaiah and the Congress party should apologise to the people of the state.

The Congress on Tuesday said it has decided to hold caste re-enumeration in Karnataka to address concerns of some communities who complained of being left out of the survey that was conducted 10 years ago.

The decision was taken at a meeting where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary, (Organisation) K C Venugopal and the general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy and Pradesh Congress Committee president D K Shivakumar at the Congress' new headquarters in New Delhi.

The decision came at a time when the Social and Educational Survey report, popularly known as 'caste census' was under the consideration of the state cabinet.

"The Congress High Command has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government. This report, which was prepared at a cost of Rs 150 crore, is a huge waste of taxpayers' money and a great disservice to the backward and marginalized communities," Kumar said in a post on 'X'.

The BJP had repeatedly pointed out that there were discrepancies in the data of the caste census report and demanded that it be re-examined. However, Siddaramaiah continued with his "usual recklessness" even in such a sensitive matter, he alleged.

"The report was presented in the Cabinet meeting and was even scheduled to be approved in a Cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills. But the Congress high command has now stepped in, rejected the report, and asked for a re-census within a time frame, citing inaccuracies in the data," he added.

Noting that not just Siddaramaiah, but the Congress high command has also hurt the sentiments of the backward and marginalised communities in the state, the BJP leader said that for the past decade, Siddaramaiah has been 'fooling' the people on this very issue, creating discontent and dissatisfaction among communities.

"Due to all these controversies, CM Siddaramaiah and the Congress party should apologize to the people of the state," he added.

Various communities, especially Karnataka's two dominant ones -- Vokkaligas and Veershaiva-Lingayats -- have expressed strong reservations about the caste survey that has been done, calling it "unscientific", and have been demanding that it be rejected, and a fresh survey be conducted.

Objections have also been raised by various sections of society, and there are also strong voices against it from within the ruling Congress.

Meanwhile, the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the apex body of Veerashaiva-Lingayat community has welcomed the Congress high command's instruction to the state government to hold re-enumeration of caste data in the state.

President of the Mahasabha and veteran Congressman and MLA Dr Shamanur Shivashankarappa in a statement said that "if the state government conducts the survey in a proper manner for the benefit of all, by rectifying the shortcomings and errors that have occurred in the past, by adopting new technology, and with the cooperation of everyone, the Mahasabha will extend it full cooperation." After a long wait, the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes' survey report was placed before the cabinet for the first time on April 11. The Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had in 2015 commissioned the survey in the state.

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 Kantharaju's successor K Jayaprakash Hegde in February 2024. PTI KSU SA