Decision on caste census only after consulting CM Siddaramaiah: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid growing objections to the Social and Educational Survey, or caste census,, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has said any decision on its possible postponement will be taken after consulting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The survey is scheduled to take place between September 22 and October 7, at an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore.
Shivakumar, along with his cabinet colleagues H K Patil, Shivaraj Tangadagi, Byrathi Suresh and B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, went into a huddle with Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Chairperson Madhusudhan R Naik and its members.
The meeting came following some objections that were reportedly raised during the cabinet meeting earlier on Thursday regarding the castes list prepared for the survey.
Following the objections, CM Siddaramaiah apparently asked some Ministers to hold discussions and get back to him regarding the further course of actions, according to official sources.
"We have discussed how some people and BJP are misusing (the situation). The Backward Class commission systematically and within the framework of law, taking into account public opinion and how the surveys have been done in the past, has made a list. We have taken their (Commissions) opinion too," Shivakumar said, after the meeting on Thursday.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, the Congress party and the government don't want to divide any community.
"The list of castes has been prepared by the Commission based on what was there in the past and on the request from communities. But some of our members have expressed objections to this. We are seeking opinions. We are not concerned about those speaking politically. This survey is being done to provide justice for all. We will inform the chief minister as to what has transpired and inform you about the decision," he added.
Asked whether there were suggestions to postpone the survey, the Deputy CM said, "I won't say anything about it now. After discussing with the CM, I will speak to you. Ultimately we will provide justice to everyone."
According to sources, during the cabinet meeting the caste census issue came up for discussion, during which several Ministers expressed objections and reservations regarding the caste list and "problematic nomenclatures" of castes mentioned in it.
Concerns were also raised about "anti upper caste" image being created against the Congress in connection with the survey, and also BJP accusing the government of dividing Hindus and Veerashaiva-Lingayat community gaining traction,
Also, concerns were raised about strong objections to the caste census list, especially regarding a number of castes containing dual identities -- having both Christian and Hindu caste names -- like 'Kuruba Christian', 'Brahmin Christian', 'Vokkaliga Christian' among others. Some even cautioned about this "problematic nomenclatures" being projected as a move that will give opportunity for religious conversion, and them eating into quota share of other OBCs.
Some Ministers are said to have suggested holding the survey after rectifying all the confusions. Confusion or differences among the Veerashaiva-Lingayats, a dominant community, over mentioning themselves as a separate religion, instead of Hindus were also pointed out, sources said.
There were also caution by few, that postponing the survey may send a wrong message, sources added.
BJP too urged the government and the Backward Class Commission to not conduct the survey "hastily", warning that any thoughtless move may create divide between the communities.
Pointing to the alleged lack of unity within the cabinet, BJP state General Secretary and MLA Sunil Kumar told the government to, postpone the survey. "Call an all party meeting and meeting of all castes representatives to gather opinion, and hold the survey during summer."
He also questioned the need for the survey, when the Centre has already announced caste enumeration in the national census, and alleged "caste census in the state seems to be a move by Siddarmaaiah to extend his tenure as CM, amid power tussle within the ruling party."
The BJP leader reiterated the party's objections to the caste census list, with castes that contain dual identities, having both Christian and Hindu caste name, stating that it may give scope for a large-scale religious conversion.
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Gurugram Police arrest BJP Yuva Morcha member for spreading fake murder story on social media
New Delhi: Gurugram Police have arrested BJP Yuva Morcha member Hariom Mishra, for allegedly spreading a fabricated and communally sensitive story on social media about the murder of a college student in Gurugram.
Mishra who is also known as Shaurya Mishra had shared a collage of four photographs on his X handle earlier this month. He claimed that a 24-year-old college student, identified as Nikita Agarwal, had been murdered by her classmate Arif Khan in Gurugram. In the post, he alleged that the woman was blackmailed, forced into prostitution, gangraped, and eventually killed. He also claimed that Arif dumped her body in a forest. The claims were presented as being based on police sources.
The post went viral and garnering over 1.5 lakh views, and was amplified by several right-wing social media handles across X, Facebook and Instagram. A verification of the claims revealed that no such incident had taken place in Gurugram. A search of credible news reports showed no record of any such murder. The police said this news would have inevitably attracted media attention if it were true.
On December 11, Gurugram Police publicly refuted the claims through their official X handle. They stated that the information which was being circulated was completely false. The police warned that legal action would be taken against those spreading misinformation. Despite the warning, Mishra neither deleted the post nor issued any clarification.
Police in Gurugram confirmed Mishra's arrest on December 16. The police said a FIR was filed after he continued to spread false information about the alleged murder of a Hindu woman by Muslim man. Police said Mishra, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district, is now being investigated.
Gurugram Police spokesperson Sandeep Singh told The Print that the accused had deliberately misrepresented facts and used objectionable content to spread hatred along religious lines. “Such posts can create serious disturbances in society, and the police take these matters very seriously,” he said.
A reverse image search conducted by fact-checkers at Alt News, revealed that the photographs used in the viral post were unrelated to the claims, while two of the images were traced to a Pinterest account belonging to influencer Maulik Chopra and another image was sourced from an Instagram post by influencer Shivam Thakur featuring a woman named Deepanshi Rawat. The fourth image was found on an unrelated Instagram page. The images depicted different individuals and had no connection to any crime.
Police said they are also investigating Mishra’s motive behind sharing the false and provocative content.
