Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 15: Karnataka leader of opposition R Ashoka has launched a scathing attack on chief minister Siddaramaiah over the caste census controversy, accusing him of using backward communities as political tools to deflect attention from internal party issues and personal setbacks.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, Ashoka alleged that Siddaramaiah invokes the caste census issue whenever his political standing is under threat. “Every time he faces pressure—like during the recent AICC plenary in Delhi—he suddenly brings up the caste census as a distraction,” Ashoka claimed. “This ploy has become predictable.”
Referring to the recent reprimand Siddaramaiah allegedly received from the Congress high command over administrative lapses—including the honeytrap scandal—Ashoka said, “When things go wrong, he reaches for the caste census card like a chess move to protect his position.”
Ashoka reiterated the BJP’s support for genuine efforts to uplift backward communities but warned against what he called the ‘exploitation of marginalised sections for political convenience’. “Backward communities are not pawns in a game of snakes and ladders,” he remarked.
Calling the Kantharaj Commission report ‘unscientific, incomplete, and outdated’, Ashoka posed a series of pointed questions to the chief minister. He asked, “Did the Commission Secretary refuse to sign the report? If so, why? What happened to the sealed box said to contain the original or handwritten version of the report, as mentioned by Jayaprakash Hegde? Why did Siddaramaiah not implement the report when he was in power in 2018? Given concerns that the decade-old survey was flawed and households were left out, why the sudden urgency to revive it? Why not conduct a fresh and more accurate survey suited to current realities?”
Ashoka further highlighted opposition to the report from within Congress ranks. “Even your own Deputy CM D K Shivakumar has signed a petition against accepting the current caste census. Senior leaders like Shamanur Shivashankarappa and many religious leaders have voiced their disapproval too.”
He questioned why the government failed to build consensus over the past 22 months. “Why was the report suddenly brought to the cabinet without consulting key stakeholders?”
Ashoka also suggested political motives behind the move. “Is this a strategic attempt to delay or avoid a power-sharing deal with DyCM Shivakumar?” he asked, hinting at internal Congress rifts. “Is the caste census being used as a weapon to corner your political rivals?”
Further raising the heat, he questioned the government over the alleged leak of caste census data to the media. “Was it an accidental lapse or a calculated leak?”
He also pointed out inconsistencies in the report’s treatment of communities: “Why were sub-castes listed separately for Veerashaiva-Lingayat and Vokkaliga groups but not for Muslim and Christian communities? What’s the rationale?”
Ashoka concluded by urging CM Siddaramaiah to drop political ego and take a transparent, inclusive approach. “The people of Karnataka are watching. Don’t let social justice become a political gimmick,” he said.