Latest news with #CongressHighCommand
Hans India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Another caste census, a slap in the face for CM: LoP
Bengaluru: Through the decision to conduct another caste census, the Congress High Command has delivered a slap in the face to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. This is a defeat for CM Siddaramaiah and a victory for Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, said Opposition Leader R. Ashoka. Speaking to reporters, he stated that the re-conduction of the caste census has caused embarrassment and defeat for CM Siddaramaiah, while it is a victory for Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar. 'We had all opposed this report. The Congress High Command also felt that this report was not right. The High Command has given a slap in the face to Siddaramaiah. Despite the CM's insistence that he would implement the report no matter what, he has now gone back on his words, so it would be appropriate for him to resign. Rs. 160 crore has been wasted, and they don't have the funds to conduct another survey. They must answer for this,' he demanded. On behalf of Kannadigas, R. Ashoka said he is raising questions to Siddaramaiah, as follows: Is it sacred only if it comes from the High Command's conch? This makes one thing clear: he has no trust in the people of the state, religious leaders, or community heads. Is he merely a follower of the High Command's orders? Who will conduct the survey? Schools have already started, and using teachers for such a massive task at this time would completely disrupt academic activities, directly impacting children's futures. So, who will the government deploy to conduct this survey within these 90 days? Online survey - an illogical step? The idea of conducting the survey online seems like another illogical step. When many literate people are still unfamiliar with online systems, how can such a survey be feasible? How will the accuracy of information and identification be ensured? What measures will the government take to prevent incorrect data entries? Who is responsible for the Rs 167 crore wasteful expenditure? Who is accountable for the massive amount already spent on the caste census? The earlier Kantharaju-Jayaprakash Hegde report has now been discarded like chaff. That report cost taxpayers Rs. 167 crore. Who will recover this money? Is this a grand drama to cover up the stampede tragedy ? Above all these developments, there are strong suspicions that the Chief Minister and his High Command are staging a grand drama to divert attention from the recent IPL victory celebration tragedy. Is this truly an attempt to shift public focus elsewhere? Struggle reaches logical conclusion When the BJP protested against the scam in the Valmiki Development Corporation, CM Siddaramaiah had admitted to the mistake. The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids much later. It has been revealed through investigations that the scam money was used for the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress leaders who misappropriated the poor's money must be punished, he said.
Mint
4 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Fresh Caste Census in Karnataka: What triggered the Congress rethink? Is the last survey scrapped?
The Karnataka cabinet will decide the timeline for the caste re-enumeration to be conducted in the state within 90 days, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on 10 June, promising a 'transparent' process that protects the interests of all sections of society. He was speaking after the party announced the decision on the caste recount following a high-level meeting with Congress president Mallikarjuna Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was also among the leaders present during the deliberations. "Several ministers and communities have expressed apprehensions, and keeping this in mind, the party leadership has decided to re-enumerate castes in the state," Siddaramaiah told reporters. A recount could mean either a full re-survey or supplement the existing data using records maintained at the gram panchayat and ward levels. It remains unclear whether the survey that the Congress High Command has approved would mean a completely new survey or a partial survey. Karnataka's socio-economic and educational survey was first announced in 2015 during Siddaramaiah's first term as chief minister. The report of the survey, which reportedly cost ₹ 165 crore, was prepared by the Karnataka Backwards Classes Commission under then-chairman HK Kantharaj. It was submitted to the chief minister in February 2024, soon after Siddaramaiah returned to power for a second term, by the current chairman, KJ Jayaprakash Hegde. This report recommended 51 per cent reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), arguing that OBCs comprise 70 per cent (4.16 crore) of Karnataka's population. The report triggered a controversy among the state's two dominant castes – the Vokkaligas and the Lingayats – who claimed that their communities had been undercounted. The Vokkaliga and Lingayat organisations demanded a fresh survey, after their population was found to be a little over 10 per cent and close to 11 per cent, respectively. This, they said, was much less than estimated so far. The Vokkaligas (the caste that Shivakumar belongs to) and Lingayats currently enjoy reservation under the III A and III B categories of the OBC quota in the state. The non-Kuruba backward classes also raised objections to the recommendation that the Kurubas – a community to which CM Siddaramaiah belongs – be moved from 'more backward' to 'most backward' category. Some leaders said that the 2015 data was old and did not reflect the reality currently on the ground. So the the Congress high command felt these were serious objections and needed to be addressed, according to sources quoted by The Indian Express. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka criticised CM Siddaramaiah for his 'usual recklessness' and sought an apology. Taking to X, Karnataka BJP general secretary Sunil Kumar Karkala contended that the Congress high command 'has scrapped the caste census report prepared by the state government.' The report, he said, was 'even scheduled to be approved in a cabinet meeting at Nandi Hills. But the Congress high command has now stepped in, rejected the report, and asked for a re-census within a time frame, citing inaccuracies in the data,' he said. The BJP demanded an apology from the CM and the Congress party for creating 'discontent among communities.' The saffron party alleged that CM had pushed for the report marred by discrepancies to be accepted by the cabinet. The BJP also alleged that the state government is raising the caste census now to cover up its flaws in connection with the recent stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in which 11 people were killed 'Whenever the Congress-led state government faces a crisis due to its administrative failures, it brings up the caste census issue. This isn't out of social concern, but rather a constant ploy to divert the attention of the people of the state," state BJP President BY Vijayendra said. Cabinet will decide the date and timeline: Shivakumar In accordance with the high command's instructions, the Karnataka government has decided to complete the survey and submit the report within 90 days. Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, emphasised that the census would be conducted transparently while taking all communities into confidence. "The cabinet will decide the date and timeline of the survey, which is a long and big process. The CM will announce the date," he said. The Deputy CM assured that the new census would address concerns of every community without excluding anyone. He said even those living outside Karnataka would be given an opportunity to enrol through online mode. People should not be anxious about our government. We will take into confidence everyone and give justice. This is our party's commitment. "People should not be anxious about our government. We will take into confidence everyone and give justice. This is our party's commitment," Shivakumar said, appealing to all communities and organisations to cooperate in the survey.
