Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Credit: DH File Photo
New Delhi: Under pressure from the Lingayat and Vokkaliga leaders, the Congress government in Karnataka on Wednesday decided to defer the decision to place the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, commonly referred to as 'caste census' before the Cabinet meeting scheduled on Thursday.
"Though it was earlier decided to place the report before the Cabinet meeting schedule on Thursday, now it was decided not to be tabled. It will be tabled after one week, maybe in the next Cabinet meeting," Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters here on Wednesday.
The CM, who was in the national capital to attend the inaugural function of the Congress headquarters, refuted the rumours that the government was delaying it due to opposition from some section of party leaders.
"Nobody including me has seen the contents of the report. When nobody knows the contents of the report, the question of opposition by some leaders does not arise. Only when the report is tabled in the Cabinet, the contents will be known," Siddaramaiah said. Some people opposing it based on rumours, he added.
Earlier in the day, Home Minister G Parameswara said, "it was decided the sealed cover (of report) will be opened before the Cabinet."
The Dalit leader also said that the government has got the report after spending Rs 160 crore tax payers' money and should at least be made public.
Karnataka's two dominant communities -- Vokkaliags and Lingayats -- have already expressed reservations about the survey done, calling it "unscientific", and have demanded that it be rejected and a fresh survey be conducted.
With strong opposition from the two politically influential communities, revealing the contents of the survey report may turn out to be a political challenge to the Siddaramaiah-headed government.
Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes under its then chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde had submitted the report to CM Siddaramaiah on February 29 last year, amid objections raised by certain sections of society and voices against it from within ruling Congress.