From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Jan 15: BJP Opposition leader in the Assembly R Ashoka has declared that his party and he himself have no problems or opposition to the Caste Census as it is based on the 'Antyodaya' concept of bringing the lower castes and communities to the mainstream, which is fundamental principle of the patty.
The BJP leader said the party wants social, political and economic upliftment of the lower castes and said the patty will support any measures aimed at ensuring social justice to all sections of society.
However, Ashoka said the BJP would not support any attempts of using Caste Census as a ploy to be used in the political one-upmanship.
The BJP leader has demanded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to first answer some basic questions:
1. If the Government is really serious about Caste Census, why the Kantharaju commission’s report on backward classes was not implemented in 2018?
2. There are complaints that the Commission had not done a scientific study of the castes and has not visited all the houses 10 years ago. In such a situation, what is the urgency to bring up the Caste Census issue now?
3. The Vokkaligara Sangha has demanded that the unscientific caste census report should not be implemented and the demand has been supported by Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President D K Shivakumar. Senior Congress leader and Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha President Shamanoor Shivashankar and several religious pontiffs have opposed the Caste Census report. In this background, why the report is now pushed without trying arrive at a consensus?
4. Is this Caste Census report being taken up in the State Cabinet, an attempt to cut down Shivakumar to size?
5. The Government is facing Valmiki and Muda scams besides charges of commission in Excise and other Departments. There are several suicides of government staff and contractors. Is this a ploy to sidetrack all these issues and divert public attention?
6. Is the Caste Census report is being used as a propaganda tool in the Delhi assembly polls?
7. Isn’t the use of Caste Census to cheat the Dalits and Backward Classes, a self-deception?
8. How the contents of the Caste Census report were leaked to the media?