Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 13: In a strong rebuttal to the recently submitted caste census report in Karnataka, the All-India Veerashaiva Lingayat Mahasabha’s Karnataka state president, Shankar Bidari, declared the findings as “unacceptable” and urged the state government to conduct a fresh and transparent survey.
Addressing the media in Bengaluru on Sunday, Bidari expressed serious reservations over the figures mentioned in the caste census report submitted by the Karnataka State backward classes commission to the Congress-led government. According to the report, the population of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community is pegged at 66 lac.
However, Bidari countered the figure, stating, “The actual population of the community, including all sub-castes, is nearly three cr. We completely reject this report. It fails to reflect the demographic reality of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community. We will appeal to the government and urge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to initiate a fresh caste census.”
The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community holds considerable sway in the political landscape of Karnataka, influencing electoral outcomes in close to 150 of the 224 Assembly constituencies. The Mahasabha's stand has added fuel to the already heated political debate surrounding the controversial census.
Reacting to the ongoing row, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M B Patil, clarified that even he does not agree with the figures cited in the report. “The community's population is certainly over one cr, not just around 70 lac,” he noted.
Patil added, “I have acquired a copy of the report and will study it thoroughly. Only after reviewing it in detail will I present my views during the special cabinet meeting scheduled on April 17. There is a need to address misconceptions and clarify issues in the cabinet. Many sub-castes, in order to avail reservation benefits, do not identify themselves as Lingayat. These dynamics must be factored into any evaluation.”
The caste census report, which has stirred widespread controversy, lists the Lingayat community at 66.35 lac (11.09%), a number that falls below the reported Muslim population, which stands at 18.08%. The report recommends increasing the Muslim community’s reservation from the existing 4% to 8%, according to sources.
While the report was submitted to the cabinet on April 10, no official public statement has been made so far. However, leaks and details discussed during the cabinet session have surfaced, triggering debate and dissent among various community groups.
It may be recalled that the caste census was initiated in 2014 during Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure, under the leadership of then backward classes commission chairman H Kantharaju. Though the survey was completed by 2016 at a cost of around Rs 169 cr, successive governments kept the report under wraps—until now.