Is it caste census or census of hatred, asks Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): Criticising the caste census report tabled before the Karnataka Cabinet, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday questioned whether it was a caste census or a census of hatred.
In a statement, Kumaraswamy, who holds steel and heavy industries portfolio, sought to know the population of Vokkaliga, the dominant agrarian community, which he belongs to.
“What is it really — a caste census or a census of hate? Is this so-called census a conspiracy designed to deliberately provoke unrest in the state? Or is it merely a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from the embarrassment caused by relentless price hikes and a series of corruption scandals?” the Minister questioned.
He further said, “If the entire state ends up engulfed in the flames of caste divisions, is this move by the Congress government in Karnataka a premeditated attempt to politically and socially marginalize certain communities?”
Expressing concerns over the leaked caste census report, Kumaraswamy said the ‘so-called statistics’ from this report are now floating everywhere. Some unknown hand has systematically leaked them into the public domain, he alleged.
The Minister sought to the know the actual population of the Vokkaliga community residing across the Old Mysuru region such as Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagara, Bengaluru Rural, Tumakuru, and Chitradurga.
He also took a jibe at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for taking a U-turn on the caste census, despite having previously opposed it.
“Sleepless in his pursuit of the Chief Minister’s chair, he (Shivakumar) once begged the community saying, ‘Just give me a pen and paper once!’ And now, is that same man bowing his head and endorsing the Siddha Conspiracy Report?" Kumaraswamy said.
Siddha is apparently referred to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“I do not support this report. I am fully prepared to fight against this injustice,” the Minister added.
The Socio-Economic and Educational Survey, caste census in short, was presented before the Karnataka cabinet on April 11.
The report was commissioned by Siddaramaiah during his first term as Chief Minister in 2015. H Kantharaj had initially started the work which was carried forward by former Minister K Jayaprakash. The report was submitted to the Chief Minister in February 2024.
The Chief Minister said there would be a detailed discussion on the report in a special cabinet meeting on April 17.
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Ex DGP murder case: Wife threw chilli powder before stabbing, say police
Bengaluru (PTI): Police probing former Karnataka DGP Om Prakash's murder case have learnt that his wife Pallavi threw chili powder on his face before stabbing him to death, sources said.
Police have detained Pallavi as she emerged as a key suspect in the murder case.
Along with her, their daughter Kriti has also been detained.
Prakash, a 1981 batch IPS officer hailing from Bihar, was found dead in a pool of blood in the ground floor of his three-storeyed house in the posh HSR Layout in the city on Sunday.
"After a heated exchange of words, Pallavi threw chili powder on Prakash's face," sources claimed.
As the hefty former police chief of Karnataka scrambled for relief from the burning sensation, Pallavi stabbed him multiple times with a knife, killing him on the spot, sources said.
She then made a video call to her friend and reportedly said, "I have killed the monster," sources claimed.
The murder was the culmination of frequent run-ins between the couple, the sources said.
It is learnt that there was a property dispute involved in the crime pertaining to a land in Dandeli in Karnataka.
A few months ago, Pallavi had approached the HSR Layout police station to lodge a complaint.
When the staff there did not oblige, she staged a 'Dharna' (sit-in demonstration) in front of the police station, sources claimed.
It's also learnt that Pallavi was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was under medication too.
The 68-year-old retired IPS officer was a native of Champaran, Bihar, and held a Master's degree in Geology.
Prakash was appointed Director General of Police on March 1, 2015.
