Amid resistance from Vokkaligas and Lingayats, Siddaramaiah says govt committed to accepting caste census report

“I stand by my commitment to accept the report of the social, economic and educational census commissioned in the state during the previous tenure of our government in order to provide social justice to communities deprived of opportunities,” he added.

The chief minister referred to a statement by Gandhi where he said the first task the Congress will undertake if it comes to power in the country is to conduct a caste census.

The remarks came even as the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission is expected to present its caste survey report to the government by November 24, when the tenure of the commission’s chairman, Jayaprakash Hegde, comes to an end.

The Congress government is incidentally under pressure from dominant caste groups like the Vokkaligas and Lingayats to reject the socio-economic and educational census. Several Congress ministers from the two communities have signed on protest letters calling for the government not to accept the caste census report.

The Vokkaligara Sangha, in a meeting attended by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, urged the government not to accept the report and the head of the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Congress MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, has said the survey is “unscientific” and not acceptable.

The Socio Economic and Educational Census ordered in 2014 during Siddaramaiah’s first tenure as chief minister was carried out at a cost of Rs 169 crore. Though the report was expected to be submitted by 2016, it was delayed on technical grounds.

The indecision over the report when it was submitted to the government in 2018 was attributed largely to opposition from MLAs from the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities. The two communities have for long been considered the largest in the state, but a leaked version of the caste census report indicated that Scheduled Castes and Muslims may be the largest communities.

“It will be up to the government to take a call on it,” Jayaprakash Hegde said recently while indicating that he would submit the report before leaving office on November 24.