Why is CM Siddaramaiah in a hurry to implement 10-year-old caste census? asks BJP

Bengaluru: Accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of using the caste census report as a diversionary tool to distract attention from the Congress government’s missteps, Opposition BJP leaders R Ashoka and Chalavadi T Narayanaswamy on Wednesday questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's haste to implement a ten-year-old report.

Questioning Siddaramaiah’s commitment to implementing the report, Ashoka posted ten questions on X on the subject. Pointing out that neither the BJP nor he were opposed to the implementation of the report, Ashoka wrote, “The BJP’s core philosophy is based on fighting for the downtrodden, and to provide equal opportunities to such people in every sphere.”

Ashoka sought to draw the CM’s attention to the fact that the Karnataka Socio-Economic and Education Survey Report, commonly referred to as Caste Census, was compiled based on the 2011 Census exercise. “There have been scores of complaints from citizens about this (caste census) exercise not having been carried out in a scientific manner,” wrote the BJP leader.  

Ashoka pointed to opposition to the report’s implementation from Vokkaliga and Lingayat bodies. Adding that Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, no less, was a signatory to a letter opposing the release of the report, Ashoka said, “As CM, you did not make an honest attempt to, even once, hold discussions with representatives of groups opposing the report, or give them a patient hearing.”

Narayanaswamy alleged that the CM and Congress were using the report as an effective tool to divert people’s attention from pressing issues such as rampant corruption, rise in prices of essential commodities and the law-and-order situation.