Caste Census: Siddaramaiah Says Centre Imitating Congress Playbook, BJP Hits Again – News18
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Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-led central authorities of mimicking the Congress, first by criticising its assure schemes, and now by asserting a caste census.
Siddaramaiah additionally mentioned that the Centre ought to inform the folks of the nation in regards to the timeline for conducting the census. (PTI Picture)
The BJP on the Centre is merely copying what the Congress has been doing, mentioned Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He claimed that the caste census, which was first initiated by the Congress authorities, is now being claimed by the BJP. He additionally recalled the groundwork performed when he was Deputy Chief Minister in Karnataka throughout the Dharam Singh regime, and accused the BJP of making an attempt to take possession of the trouble.
Siddaramaiah accused the BJP-led central authorities of mimicking the Congress, first by criticising its assure schemes, and now by asserting a caste census, each of which have been Congress initiatives and a part of its manifesto, however are actually being accepted by the BJP.
“The BJP authorities on the Centre is copying us. After we launched the assure schemes, they opposed them at first. Now they’re implementing them. The identical has occurred with the caste census. Underneath strain from Rahul Gandhi, and with the Bihar elections approaching, they’ve been compelled to announce it,” Siddaramaiah instructed reporters.
He mentioned the Centre’s determination to incorporate caste enumeration within the upcoming nationwide census was a win for social justice and credited Rahul Gandhi’s persistent push over the previous two years for forcing the BJP’s hand.
“I congratulate Shri Rahul Gandhi for this dedication to social justice. For 2 years, he has been demanding that the Authorities of India conduct a caste census. It’s due to this sustained strain that they’ve lastly agreed,” Siddaramaiah mentioned.
The announcement by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday that the Cupboard Committee on Political Affairs had permitted caste enumeration within the upcoming census sparked political fireworks. Whereas the Centre referred to as it a clear train, the Congress was fast to assert credit score and hailed it as a victory for Rahul Gandhi’s imaginative and prescient.
Siddaramaiah additionally mentioned that the Centre ought to inform the folks of the nation in regards to the timeline for conducting the census. “It shouldn’t be like the ladies’s reservation invoice, the place you don’t see it being carried out — it’s simply on paper. It is a severe matter and they need to say how they will do it, how they will conduct the socio-economic and academic survey,” he insisted.
Siddaramaiah didn’t maintain again. He reminded the Centre that it was his authorities in Karnataka that had already carried out a complete caste-based, social, financial and academic survey. “We mentioned in our manifesto that we’d conduct a socio-economic and caste census. I don’t know whether or not the Centre will do only a caste rely or a correct survey. Social justice can’t be achieved and not using a full socio-economic survey,” he mentioned.
The Chief Minister additionally invoked historical past, pointing to the Congress’s long-standing dedication to backward courses. “Since 1945, the RSS, Jan Sangh and BJP have opposed caste census, claiming it could create strife. However caste is a actuality in our social system. We can’t faux it doesn’t exist. By caste knowledge, we will work in the direction of equality,” he mentioned.
He emphasised that the caste system can solely be dismantled by recognising its existence and addressing the structural inequalities it creates. “The caste system could be eliminated solely by eliminating financial and social inequality,” he mentioned.
Siddaramaiah recalled that the groundwork for the present survey in Karnataka started throughout his tenure as Deputy CM beneath Dharam Singh, when he proposed the formation of a everlasting Backward Lessons Fee and a socio-economic survey. But it surely was solely when he grew to become CM once more between 2013 and 2018 that the proposal was carried out. That was when the Kantharaju Fee started groundwork for the caste census in 2015.
The primary caste census beneath his authorities was carried out in 2015 by the Kantharaju Fee, however the report was pushed into chilly storage. It was solely after a decade, beneath the management of Jayaprakash Hegde, that the Backward Lessons Fee finalised and submitted the report back to the CM in February 2024. The survey, protecting 94 per cent of Karnataka’s inhabitants, has now been positioned earlier than the cupboard, however discussions stay inconclusive.
“The governments headed by Kumaraswamy, Yediyurappa and Bommai did nothing in regards to the caste census, which was with the Backward Lessons Fee. Jayaprakash Hegde, who was then chairman and took over throughout Bommai’s tenure, handed over the census report once I grew to become CM once more. Now we have tabled it and we’ll talk about it,” he mentioned.
The cupboard assembly on April 17 to debate the report ended with out decision. One other assembly deliberate for Might 2 was postponed, with insiders pointing to disagreements over methodology and knowledge — particularly numbers that reportedly present a demographic shift in favour of OBCs, unsettling dominant caste equations. Sources counsel the leaked knowledge signifies that Vokkaligas and Lingayats are not the most important caste teams, inflicting unease inside the political institution.
“We’ve carried out the survey. The cupboard has to determine. We are able to’t decide till the cupboard ministers current their case. I’ve requested the ministers to submit their opinions in writing. As soon as we obtain that, will probably be offered for dialogue. Then we may have one thing to say about it,” Siddaramaiah mentioned.
He maintained that the target behind Karnataka’s survey was to border a scientific reservation coverage. “The Supreme Court docket has, repeatedly, harassed the necessity for knowledge in reservation circumstances. Based mostly on our survey, we plan to revise the reservation coverage and lift the 50 per cent ceiling. The Jayaprakash and Kantharaju Commissions have really helpful 51 per cent reservation,” he mentioned, including that solely the Centre has the ability to take away that cap.
He accused BJP’s Karnataka unit of making an attempt to sabotage the Congress authorities’s plans. “We try to extend reservation, however BJP leaders listed below are opposing it for their very own causes. I urge the PM to reprimand them,” he mentioned.
“The BJP was the identical occasion that for years criticised caste census as divisive and a risk to Hindu unity. Now, they’re doing precisely what we did. It’s the identical story because the assure schemes. The Prime Minister might not admit it, however the nation is aware of he’s appearing beneath strain,” Siddaramaiah mentioned.
He mentioned the caste-based social, financial and academic survey performed by the state was a mannequin and supplied to cooperate with the Centre to duplicate it nationally.
“We welcome the Centre’s determination. However I urge them to transcend only a caste census—conduct a full social, financial and academic survey. Solely then can true social justice be delivered,” he mentioned.
BJP Hits Again
Chief of Opposition R Ashoka challenged the Congress and questioned why the caste census was not carried out throughout their time in energy.
He mentioned the Narendra Modi-led authorities had determined to conduct a caste census to uphold social justice. “Regardless of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi serving as Prime Ministers after independence, the Congress didn’t conduct a caste survey,” Ashoka mentioned.
He added that the Congress “lacked primary consciousness” for such an initiative and that the proposal for a caste census was rejected throughout Manmohan Singh’s tenure.
He mentioned the Modi authorities has introduced that the ladies’s reservation shall be carried out by 2029, and that the caste census will assist this course of.
Taking up Siddaramaiah, Ashoka mentioned that whereas the caste census was carried out in 2015, it was launched solely ten years later. “Congress ought to mirror on this delay. They need to apologise for failing to conduct a nationwide caste census and clarify why it wasn’t performed,” the senior BJP chief mentioned.
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