Karnataka: Siddaramaiah attacks BJP government for not releasing 2015 caste census report

Congress Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah slammed the Basavaraj Bommai-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for not releasing a caste census report prepared by the state government during his term as chief minister. 

Attending a program organised at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office, the former Karnataka chief minister said that the BJP is against the Constitution, social justice, and reservation and that is why they are refusing to accept the Backward Classes Commission report. The KPCC event was held to remember the contributions of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former chief minister D Devaraj.

Siddaramaiah  questioned, "Backward classes commission had not conducted socio, economic and educational survey only for one caste. The government is not ready to accept the report. Has Eshwarappa ever met and urged B S Yediyurappa at least once to accept the report?"

Siddaramaiah added, "BJP leaders speak as though the reservation to backward classes was their policy decision. It was the then BJP Rajya Sabha member Late Ramajois who went to court opposing Late Rajiv Gandhi's reservation policy which extended reservation to backward classes, women, minorities, SC/STs in local bodies." 

Questioning the Centre, the Congress leader asked, "Why were PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah silent when Anant Kumar Hedge said that BJP came to power only to change the Constitution? BJP is opposed to the reservation and misleading people by twisting history as per their needs." 

In 2015, the Karnataka government had conducted a “socio-economic and education” survey that enumerated population percentages of different castes in the state.

Bihar can hold its own caste-based census

On 14 August, senior BJP leader and the deputy chief minister of Bihar, Renu Devi had said, "The Bihar government, like Karnataka, is free to hold a caste-based census in the State but the Central government will not accept any proposal for this as its policy decision is not to conduct the caste-based census."

Earlier, on 4 August, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an appointment to discuss the state's caste-based census. Opposition leaders have repeatedly demanded such a census and have urged Nitish Kumar to lead a delegation of State opposition leaders to meet PM Modi on the issue.

(With inputs from ANI, Image: PTI/Shutterstock/Facebook)