Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 16: Karnataka’s caste census has stirred a fresh political storm, prompting deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar to convene a late-night meeting with senior Congress leaders, ministers, and key representatives from the Vokkaliga community at his Kumara Park residence.
Emerging from the closed-door discussion, Shivakumar strongly refuted media reports claiming that the census identified Muslims as the state’s largest demographic group. “Those reports are completely baseless. I will not entertain any questions on this misinformation. Some media houses have sensationalised the numbers and distorted facts,” he told reporters.
Shivakumar emphasised that the focus should not be on individual communities. “I represent the Congress party. My duty, along with my cabinet colleagues, is to safeguard the interests of all communities. This census was a massive effort involving lacs of people and significant resources. It’s unfortunate that certain sections of the media are spreading confusion,” he said.
He stressed that the report by the 11th Backward Classes Commission had already been tabled at a cabinet meeting and circulated among ministers. “The chief minister has called another meeting on April 17 to take this discussion forward. Meanwhile, various interpretations are surfacing in the media, which is not helpful,” Shivakumar noted.
The deputy CM also revealed that multiple ministers, including Ramalinga Reddy, Krishna Byre Gowda, N Cheluvarayaswamy, and M C Sudhakar, alongside former commission chairman Jayaprakash Hegde, participated in the discussion and contributed their insights on the report.
He clarified that many legislators were demanding access to the full report, and now that the document is available, it will be shared with them. “We have decided on a united communication strategy to clarify the facts to the public. Five of us have been entrusted with representing the collective voice of the MLAs,” he stated.
Responding to earlier reports of dissent from within the cabinet, Shivakumar clarified that those reactions were based on incomplete information. “The details of the report were shared only three days ago. Many were unaware of its contents until the recent meeting,” he explained.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that the caste census places the Muslim population at 18.08%, with an 8% reservation recommendation. This revelation has sparked discontent, with the Vokkaliga Association now joining forces with Lingayat and other communities to oppose the findings.
As the debate intensifies, the state government faces mounting pressure to ensure transparency while maintaining social harmony.