'Not My Decision...': Siddaramiah On Caste Re-Enumeration, Says 'Following High Command's Directive'
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Siddaramaiah's response came after Deputy CM DK Shivakumar stated that the caste census would be redone to allay doubts of various communities over the sanctity of data.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday responded to the decision to re-enumerate the caste survey in the state and stated that the decision was taken by the Congress high command and not by him, the cabinet, or the government.
'I am following the high command's directive. It is not my or the Cabinet's decision. It is not a decision of the government. It is a decision of the high command. The high command has asked for the re-enumeration and a re-survey to be carried out," the Chief Minister said.
Karantaka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar met with the Congress high command in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss key issues, where they discussed two to three crucial issues, including the caste census and the recent stampede in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah's response came after Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday stated that the caste census would be redone to allay doubts of various communities over the sanctity of data.
'It has been decided to clear the air over the earlier caste census with respect to its data accuracy and concerns of under-representation of certain communities. Data will be collected once again through door-to-door and online surveys. The entire process would be done in a very transparent manner," Shivakumar said after a meeting with the AICC leaders in Delhi.
However, soon after Shivakumar's statement, it was speculated that the Karnataka government was using the caste census re-enumeration as a distraction from the Chinnaswamy Stadium stampede that left 11 dead and over 50 injured.
The timing of the announcement was questioned as the decision to re-enumerate the caste survey came just days after the Karnataka government was receiving public outrage over the mishandling of the IPL celebration event.
The caste census report will now be discussed at the cabinet meeting scheduled for June 12.
First Published:
June 11, 2025, 13:20 IST
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