'Religious infiltration' under guise of caste survey: BJP affiliated forum to hold round table meet

Bengaluru: The BJP-affiliated Saamaajika Nyaaya Jaagruti Vedike – Karnataka held a round table meeting here on Tuesday. 

Over 120 participants — social leaders, religious and caste heads and retired officials — came together for an in-depth discussion on the ‘Congress government’s attempt to infiltrate Christian identities among Hindu castes through the census’.

Prominent participants like former minister and BJP leader V Sunil Kumar and Mysore-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar strongly criticised the Congress party’s AHINDA strategy. They said it was mainly focused on dividing Hindu castes — including Dalits and OBCs — for political advantage.

The round table ended with everyone agreeing that the government’s way of carrying out the caste survey — especially by adding religion-based identities and confusing existing caste categories — was a planned move to break Hindu unity. 

The speakers said the government was using the excuse of a survey to create new Christian caste categories that didn’t exist before.

They said this could have long-term social consequences and weaken the anti-conversion law currently in force in Karnataka.

Strong objection was raised to the inclusion of 48 newly created Christian caste labels like Kuruba Christian, Madivala Christian and Madiga Christian. The participants questioned the exclusion of established Christian denominations like Catholic, Protestant, New Life and Baptist.

The forum said this selective categorisation revealed the malicious political intent of the Congress government, accusing it of manipulating caste and religious identities to create a voter base.

The government was, the participants said, attempting to reshape social demographics for political advantage.

Following the discussions, a delegation, led by Wadiyar, submitted a formal petition to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot urging him to intervene.

The memorandum requested the Governor to advice the government to immediately halt the survey.

They insisted that the only acceptable way forward was a foolproof, transparent and credible caste survey carried out in alignment with the Centre’s national exercise planned for 2026–27.

In its petition, the Vedike said the BJP remains firmly committed to protecting interests of all communities and that it will resist any attempt to exploit the caste survey for political gain or to divide Hindus.