Karnataka Socio-Economic Survey: Siddaramaiah Says Govt Can't Direct Commission, Amid Opposition
The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes was free to decide on going ahead with the survey or postpone it and that the government could not give any directions to the constitutional body: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday stated that the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes was free to decide on going ahead with the survey or postpone it and that the government could not give any directions to the constitutional body.
Siddaramaiah told reporters here that the commission had gathered opinions of ministers and MLAs and “will arrive at a decision.” The Chief Minister categorically denied postponement of the socio-economic and educational survey scheduled to begin on September 22. till October 7.
Sources said the ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet were divided over conduct of the survey since it has come under opposition from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), caste-based associations and individuals over inclusion of new castes such as Christian Vokkaligas and Christian Kurbas among others. BJP leaders asked the Chief Minister to correct the flaws in the survey and hold it ‘scientifically.’
At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, senior ministers D.K. Shivakumar, H.K. Patil and M.B. Patil wanted the Chief Minister to postpone the survey while their colleagues K.H. Muniyappa, Santosh Lad and others were for holding it on schedule.
Patil, a confidant of the Chief Minister and belonging to the politically dominant Lingayat community, was said to have vehemently opposed the survey and termed it an attempt to divide the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community.
Meanwhile, the High Court of Karnataka on Friday served notices on the Central Census Commissioner, state government, the Centre and to Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes after the State Vokkaliga Association, the Akhila Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha among several others filed separate writ petitions opposing the conduct of the survey. The High Court has posted the hearing to Monday.