It's Congress vs Congress as Kharge slams Karnataka SC survey

India Today

21-05-2025

The Congress party's Samarpane Sankalpa event on Tuesday in Karnataka's Hospet, meant to be a celebratory occasion marking two years of the Siddaramaiah-led government in office, did not go exactly as planned. Rifts within the Congress party emerged in the open. At the event attended by Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge voiced sharp criticism over the inclusion of the Bedar Jangamas community, listed as an Other Backward Class (OBC), in Karnataka's ongoing caste survey of Scheduled Castes (SCs).advertisementCongress President Kharge warned that including the Bedar Jangamas group in the SC list would harm the interests of the Dalit community, reported news agency PTI. Kharge himself is a member of the Dalit community from Karnataka's Bidar.The open airing of disagreements over caste and quotas points at the internal rifts within the party on a contentious issue which the Congress and its scion, Rahul Gandhi, had of late made the cornerstone of its political messaging.
While the Siddaramaiah Cabinet is sitting on the separate Social and Educational Survey report, popularly known as the 'caste census' of 2015, following resistance from the 'dominant' Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, Kharge insisted that the new census for sub-categorisation of the SCs must be conducted properly. The criticism from Kharge echoes the same kind of disagreements that emerged after the 2015 caste census report was tabled in Karnataka.advertisementHe also warned that the Siddaramaiah government must ensure the process does not create future problems or damage the reputation of party leader Rahul Gandhi.KHARGE RAISES CONCERNS OVER BEDAR JANGAMAS INCLUSION IN SC LISTReferring to Karnataka's SC survey, which is assessing the socio-economic conditions of SC communities, Kharge took up the inclusion of the Bedar Jangamas community, and argued that adding the OBC group to an SC-focused survey undermines the goal of addressing the historical disadvantages faced by Scheduled Castes."Support poor Lingayats within the Lingayat community and provide necessary facilities. But including Bedar Jangamas as SCs -- from just 500 people in the Hyderabad Karnataka region, how did the population jump to 4–5 lakh? Where did they come from? This is unfair. Their inclusion in the SC list will harm Dalit communities and deprive genuine SCs of their rights. Is the intent to help SCs or to take away their entitlements?" Kharge was quoted as saying by PTI and the Deccan Herald newspaper."To help the people, internal SC reservations are being introduced by the state government. At this juncture, if attempts are being made to fail this by including other castes, then it will neither help the state nor the country," Kharge was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.advertisementKharge flagged the inclusion of the Bedar Jangamas community in the SC list as a concern because they traditionally belong to the Lingayat OBC category.The Bedar Jangamas community was included among both the Lingayat and SC categories in the 2015 Karnataka caste survey, according to The Indian Express.Kharge's rebuke comes a week after Karnataka's Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa, also from the SC community, warned CM Siddaramaiah about the risk of Lingayats being counted as Bedar Jangamas in the ongoing survey, noted the Deccan Herald report.Last week, The Hindu reported that while Muniyappa flagged his concerns regarding the enumeration of the community as SCs, the Bedar Jangamas community itself went to court, calling the requirement to show caste certificates during enumeration "discriminatory".2015 KARNATAKA CASTE CENSUS ALSO SAW CONGRESS DIVIDEDThe 2015 Karnataka caste census, commissioned by Siddaramaiah during his first term, also caused divisions within the Congress party. The findings reported a notable decrease in the population share of dominant communities like Lingayats and Vokkaligas, pegging them at 26% combined.Congress leaders from these communities, who have historically wielded significant political influence, expressed strong reservations about the census and its potential implementation, fearing it could undermine their communities' dominance and reduce their reservation benefits.advertisementLingayat seers and Vokkaliga leaders openly opposed the census, with some Lingayat ministers even petitioning Siddaramaiah to discard the report.Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who belongs to the Vokkaliga community, even called for a rejection of its findings.The backlash led to the Karnataka cabinet deferring a decision on the census in April 2025. In-party political opposition in the Congress from these dominant caste groups has delayed its implementation.The criticism or warning from Congress President Kharge, as one might interpret it, exposes divisions within the party over Karnataka's SC survey, which echoes the similar differences seen with the 2015 caste census report. This even as Rahul Gandhi tries to champion a pan-India caste census despite differences within his own party.Tune InTrending Reel