Daijiworld Media Network- Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 13: Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress president D K Shivakumar on Sunday assured that the Congress-led state government would ensure justice for all communities, including the Veerashaiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, amid growing opposition to the recently submitted caste census report.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar said, “The caste census report reached me this afternoon. I will thoroughly study its contents, and the matter will be taken up for detailed discussion in the upcoming cabinet meeting.” He emphasized that any decision regarding the report will not be made in haste.
Responding to the strong objections raised by the All India Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha and several seers from the community, Shivakumar maintained a conciliatory tone. “We do not oppose anyone working in the interest of their community. In a democracy, everyone has the right to safeguard their interests,” he stated.
He reiterated Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s earlier stand that the report would be brought before the state Assembly, allowing elected representatives to deliberate on it. “What more transparency does anyone need?” he questioned.
When asked about dissatisfaction among the Vokkaliga community, particularly regarding the report allegedly placing them sixth in population with just over 60 lac people, Shivakumar clarified, “I have not yet gone through those figures. As Congress State President, my duty is to ensure fairness and justice to all.”
He acknowledged the support extended by the Vokkaliga community but urged everyone to wait for a thorough discussion at the cabinet level. “Political statements should not derail the democratic process. The government will take everyone into confidence,” he affirmed.
Meanwhile, former deputy chief minister and senior BJP MLA Dr CN Ashwath Narayan clarified that the BJP is not against the idea of a caste census but criticized the submitted report as “unscientific” and lacking credibility. “The census conducted in 2011 was never completed properly. This issue is now being raked up to divert attention from the Congress government’s failures,” he alleged.
State social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa hit back at BJP criticism, stating, “What more can we expect from the BJP? Even during the Mandal Commission era, they incited communal sentiments instead of supporting social justice.”
The caste census report, compiled by the Karnataka state commission for backward classes and submitted to the cabinet on April 10, is expected to be discussed in a special Cabinet session scheduled for April 17. Though the government has yet to make the report public, several details have already surfaced in the media.
Among the findings, the report pegs the Muslim population in Karnataka at 18.08 percent and recommends increasing their reservation from the current 4 percent to 8 percent—a suggestion that is likely to spark widespread political debate and impact the socio-political landscape in the coming days.