Karnataka Cabinet to discuss caste census on October 18, HD Kumaraswamy slams move

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday announced that the Karnataka Cabinet will discuss the caste census survey report on October 18. He said that the state government will act further in accordance with the decision taken in the meeting.
Reacting to the announcement, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused the Karnataka government of trying to divert public attention from the alleged MUDA land scam, involving Siddaramaiah.
The Karnataka Chief Minister however emphasised that the report “wasn’t just a survey for the backward classes” but it was “for the 7 crore Kannadigas of the state”.
“Whatever the cabinet decides, we’ll act accordingly. The ministers, legislators from backward-class communities have all given me a memorandum. They have requested the government to accept and implement the caste census report,” Siddaramaiah said.
“People from the backward classes are still deprived of opportunities. We must identify them and provide them with equal opportunitiesâ€æWe are doing this because it aligns with our party’s ideology,” the chief minister said.
In response to Siddaramaiah’s announcement, HD Kumaraswamy challenged the Congress to seek a fresh mandate to implement the report in Karnataka.
He also pointed out that the Kantharaju Commission was formed 10 years ago to prepare the caste census report, which has now become old, and several new developments have taken place since the census was conducted.
While responding to the Congress’s allegations that he had not allowed them to release the caste census report when he was the CM of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government, Kumaraswamy questioned the present Congress government for not releasing the report in the last one year, especially before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
He said, “The report will not benefit any community as it is too old. It is being highlighted only to suppress the alleged MUDA scam.”
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara rejected Kumaraswamy’s claims.
“We have decided to take up the caste census issue in the cabinet. There were delays, but now we plan to address it. The decision will be made whether to present it in the assembly or release it directly after the cabinet meeting,” Parameshwara said.
Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Satish Jarkiholi also supported his government’s decision. “The caste census report should be made public. The government won’t collapse because of it. It should be tabled in the cabinet and then the data must be made public,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad said that the party’s hesitation over the implementation of the caste survey was unnecessary.
He said, “The caste survey will benefit everyone, including those who oppose it. It will contribute to the development of all. If the government collapses because of it, so be it.”
The Karnataka Socio-Economic and Education Survey, popularly known as the ‘caste census’ was conducted in Karnataka in 2015 during Siddaramaiah’s first term as Chief Minister.
The report of this survey was to be published with the aim of ensuring benefits for castes in proportion to their population. The state spent Rs 162 crore for the survey which covered 1.3 crore households.
The survey was completed in 2018, towards the end of Siddaramaiah’s term as chief minister, but its findings were not made public.
Although the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes submitted the report in November 2023, some groups opposed the report.
Karnataka’s two dominant communities, Vokkaliags and Lingayats, have consistently expressed reservations about the survey, calling it ‘unscientific’. They wanted a fresh survey to be conducted.