<p>Bengaluru: The Backward Classes Commission on Tuesday refuted the BJP’s charges about the inclusion of “14 Christian castes with Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) prefixes” in the list of castes for the ongoing Social and Educational survey. </p><p>In a press release, the Backward Classes Commission said, “These castes were included in the list of castes published in newspapers on August 22, 2025, to seek suggestions. After suggestions and discussions, the castes mentioned above have been excluded from the final list. Neither the survey manual nor the drop-down in the app has these castes.”</p><p>The 14 castes mentioned by the BJP are - Adi Andhra Christian, Adi Dravida Christian, Budga Jangama Christian, Lamani Christian, Mala Christian, Madiga Christian, Vodda Christian, Adi Karnataka Christian, Banjara Christian, Holeya Christian, Lambani Christian, Mahar Christian, Paraya Christian and Valmiki Christian.</p><p><strong>BJP delegation meets chairman</strong></p><p>Earlier on Tuesday, a delegation of BJP leaders comprising Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former union minister A Narayanswamy, BJP General Secretary V Sunil Kumar and others met the backward classes commission chairman Madhusudhan R Naik and urged him to "hide" 14 castes (13 SC and 1 ST communities) in the enumerator's list.</p><p>The government had published a list of 1,400 castes in some newspapers on August 22, 2025. Overall, there were 1,413 castes in the commission’s list. After calling for objections, the commission omitted some castes, added some others, and the final tally came up to 1,561 castes.</p>.Caste survey: Karnataka HC defers hearing on PILs by a day.<p>After a huge controversy erupted over certain Christian castes being attached to Hindu caste names (Kuruba Christian, Madivala Christian, Ediga Christian, Kamma Christian, Reddy Christian, Brahmin Christian and so on), the commission decided to hide 33 such Christian castes having Hindu caste names as prefixes or suffixes. However, none of the aforementioned 14 castes were in the list of 1,561 castes being provided to enumerators.</p><p><strong>BJP reiterates claim</strong></p><p>However, the BJP stuck to its claim that the castes were there in the list and had to be removed. Speaking to reporters, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, “They had added castes like Brahmin Christians, Lingayat Christians, Vokkaliga, Kuruba, Yadava; everyone had been added. Dalits had also been added – Holeya Christian, Madiga Christian, Banjara Christian, Bhovi Christian... When influential communities protested, they said those castes had been hidden. But scheduled castes and communities haven’t been hidden (sic).”</p><p>Slamming the commission, he added, “They say the original castes remain even after conversion to Christianity. How is it possible? It cannot remain."</p><p>“Not just hiding, surveyors shouldn’t ask questions such as ‘Do you go to church?’ The government is controlling the commission,” A Narayanaswamy said.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Backward Classes Commission on Tuesday refuted the BJP’s charges about the inclusion of “14 Christian castes with Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) prefixes” in the list of castes for the ongoing Social and Educational survey. </p><p>In a press release, the Backward Classes Commission said, “These castes were included in the list of castes published in newspapers on August 22, 2025, to seek suggestions. After suggestions and discussions, the castes mentioned above have been excluded from the final list. Neither the survey manual nor the drop-down in the app has these castes.”</p><p>The 14 castes mentioned by the BJP are - Adi Andhra Christian, Adi Dravida Christian, Budga Jangama Christian, Lamani Christian, Mala Christian, Madiga Christian, Vodda Christian, Adi Karnataka Christian, Banjara Christian, Holeya Christian, Lambani Christian, Mahar Christian, Paraya Christian and Valmiki Christian.</p><p><strong>BJP delegation meets chairman</strong></p><p>Earlier on Tuesday, a delegation of BJP leaders comprising Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former union minister A Narayanswamy, BJP General Secretary V Sunil Kumar and others met the backward classes commission chairman Madhusudhan R Naik and urged him to "hide" 14 castes (13 SC and 1 ST communities) in the enumerator's list.</p><p>The government had published a list of 1,400 castes in some newspapers on August 22, 2025. Overall, there were 1,413 castes in the commission’s list. After calling for objections, the commission omitted some castes, added some others, and the final tally came up to 1,561 castes.</p>.Caste survey: Karnataka HC defers hearing on PILs by a day.<p>After a huge controversy erupted over certain Christian castes being attached to Hindu caste names (Kuruba Christian, Madivala Christian, Ediga Christian, Kamma Christian, Reddy Christian, Brahmin Christian and so on), the commission decided to hide 33 such Christian castes having Hindu caste names as prefixes or suffixes. However, none of the aforementioned 14 castes were in the list of 1,561 castes being provided to enumerators.</p><p><strong>BJP reiterates claim</strong></p><p>However, the BJP stuck to its claim that the castes were there in the list and had to be removed. Speaking to reporters, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, “They had added castes like Brahmin Christians, Lingayat Christians, Vokkaliga, Kuruba, Yadava; everyone had been added. Dalits had also been added – Holeya Christian, Madiga Christian, Banjara Christian, Bhovi Christian... When influential communities protested, they said those castes had been hidden. But scheduled castes and communities haven’t been hidden (sic).”</p><p>Slamming the commission, he added, “They say the original castes remain even after conversion to Christianity. How is it possible? It cannot remain."</p><p>“Not just hiding, surveyors shouldn’t ask questions such as ‘Do you go to church?’ The government is controlling the commission,” A Narayanaswamy said.</p>