Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 12: Deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar on Friday clarified that the state government will not make a hasty decision regarding the contentious caste census report, amid growing public and political scrutiny.
Speaking to reporters at the Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar stated, “The law minister opened the report, but neither ministers nor MLAs have gone through it fully. We will deliberate on it in detail before moving forward.” He dismissed reports of internal opposition, asserting, “No minister has objected to the report. There’s no disregard from anyone.”
Shivakumar's remarks come at a time when the caste census has sparked significant reaction, particularly from the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, both of whom have raised concerns about the accuracy of their representation in the findings. Shivakumar himself belongs to the Vokkaliga community and had earlier indicated that their concerns deserve consideration.
The report, comprising over 46 volumes and additional data in two CDs, was formally presented during a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha. While the recommendations are still under review by ministers, a final decision is expected at the next Cabinet meeting scheduled for April 17 at 4 pm.
Confirming the development, chief minister Siddaramaiah said, “The report was presented today. We’ll take it up for discussion and decide in the upcoming Cabinet meeting.”
The caste census was first ordered in 2014 during Siddaramaiah’s earlier tenure as CM, under the Karnataka Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, conducted by a commission led by H Kantharaju at a cost of Rs 169 crore. Though completed in 2016, successive governments — the Congress-JD(S) coalition under H D Kumaraswamy and the BJP-led administrations under B S Yediyurappa and Basavaraj Bommai — chose not to act on the report.
The final version of the report was submitted to the current Congress government by commission chairman Jayaprakash Hegde on February 29, 2024.
According to sources, the report positions Muslims as the second-largest population group after Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes — a detail that has stirred further debate.
Opposition parties have strongly criticised the report. BJP leader and Leader of Opposition R Ashoka argued that the census lacked scientific basis. “Those conducting the survey didn’t even visit every household. The report was prepared under Siddaramaiah’s direction with political motives. No one will accept it,” he alleged.
Despite the criticism, chief minister Siddaramaiah had earlier stated, on February 18, that the survey was conducted scientifically and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to implement it. “There is no need for doubt. Our government stands by the caste census report and will certainly implement it,” he asserted.