The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised the ongoing caste census initiated by the Karnataka government, terming it a “farce” and demanding that all Christian tags attached to caste names be removed immediately.
Speaking at a press conference at the party’s state office, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, questioned the government’s intent.
“Does the government intend to promote a particular religion? Who inspired you to add dozens of categories such as Adi Andhra Christian, Adi Karnataka Christian, Adi Dravida Christian in this survey?” Narayanaswamy asked.
BJP’s Key Objections
- Narayanaswamy alleged that adding names like Kuruba Christian or Vokkaliga Christian was illegal and would deepen caste conflicts.
- He argued the state had no authority to conduct such a survey under the guise of a socio-economic exercise.
- He claimed the government was diverting attention from governance failures, including poor infrastructure and industrial slowdown.
Attacks on Government
Narayanaswamy ridiculed the government’s claim of completing the survey of seven crore people in 15 days, saying even Scheduled Caste enumeration (1.07 crore population) had taken over two months and was still incomplete.
“If you now claim you will finish the entire state in just 15 days, it must be through satellite-based surveys only,” he quipped.
He also accused the Congress government of:
- Wasting public money, citing past commissions – Kantharaju Commission (₹180 crore) and Jayaprakash Hegde Commission.
- Ignoring the earlier Kantharaju report, which he said “would have respected people’s sentiments.”
- Spending ₹425 crore again for the current survey, calling it “squandering of public money.”
Political Consensus Against Census?
Narayanaswamy claimed opposition was widespread:
- “Except for the Chief Minister, the entire Congress cabinet is opposed. The BJP, JD(S), religious leaders and community elders are against this,” he said.
He even sarcastically asked whether the survey was guided by Donald Trump or Sonia Gandhi, questioning if ordinary people had ever demanded such classifications.
Other Leaders Present
Former Union Minister A. Narayanaswamy, BJP state vice-president N. Mahesh, spokesperson H. Venkatesh Dodderi, retired IAS officer Anil Kumar, and state SC Morcha office secretary Prashant Kumar also attended the briefing.
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