Karnataka: Leaders Across Parties Hail Centre’s Decision on Caste Census

BENGALURU: Cutting across party lines, leaders welcomed the Union Government’s decision to conduct caste enumeration in the national population census to take place in the country after 1931.

A strong critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated the Congress party wholeheartedly welcomed the Union Government’s decision to conduct caste census along with National Population Census and said the Union Government bowed to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Siddaramaiah said Rahul Gandhi consistently championed the caste census and made caste census and expansion of reservation limits. Rahul Gandhi not only supported caste census but also made it a central part of Congress party’s national agenda and campaign.

Expressing satisfaction over inclusion of caste enumeration in the National Population Census, State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra termed the decision of the Union Government “a landmark step towards equity and empowerment.”

Adding, Vijayendra said, “A transparent, scientific and welfare oriented exercise will allow the government to channel resources, policies and schemes more effectively based on true ground realities. In an oblique reference to the State Government’s socio-economic and educational survey-2015 conducted in Karnataka, the BJP Chief dubbed the report “on assumptions or vote bank politics.”

While BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in Assembly R. Ashoka said the Union Government’s caste enumeration figures will be used by the Election Commission but the State’s socio-economic and educational report will end up in “trash bin” and will not serve any purpose.

Ashoka took a dig at late Prime Ministers-Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, all belonging to Congress party, over lacking basic awareness for initiative to embark upon caste enumeration and alleged Dr Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister of the country turned down a proposal to conduct caste enumeration.

Expressing similar views to that of Vijayendra and Ashoka, State president of Janata Dal Secular (JDS) and Union Minister of Large Scale Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy stated the caste enumeration in the National Population Census a significant step to help the country have authentic, scientific and transparent caste data.

Kumaraswamy also criticized the State’s socio-economic and educational report-2015 stating State level surveys often lacked credibility or uniformity and termed the Prime Minister’s decision a “far-sighted’ action in the interest of the nation.