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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Rahul Gandhi alleges Election Commission 'compromised' in US; BJP responds sharply
Boston / New Delhi: Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, while addressing an event in Boston, USA, alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is "compromised" and raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Citing figures from the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Gandhi claimed that more people had reportedly voted than the total number of adult citizens in the state. He further questioned the voting data, stating, “The Election Commission gave us a voting figure for 5:30 PM and between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM, 65 lakh voters voted. This is physically impossible. For a person to vote, it takes approximately 3 minutes. If you do the math, this would mean lines of voters extending till 2 AM—but such queues were never seen.”
He added that when the Congress party requested videography records to verify the voting data, the ECI not only denied the request but subsequently changed the law to restrict access to such footage.
The BJP responded strongly to Gandhi’s remarks. Party spokesperson CR Kesavan accused him of launching another "Bharat Badnam Yatra" and tarnishing India’s institutions abroad. “Rahul Gandhi, who is once again undermining India’s democracy on foreign soil, is peddling lies and falsehoods. He attacks our Election Commission in America at a time when global leaders, including former US President Donald Trump, have praised India’s electoral system,” Kesavan said.
Kesavan further criticized Gandhi for attempting to damage the credibility of Indian institutions while overseas, suggesting that the Congress leader lacks an understanding of the robustness of the country’s democratic framework.
VIDEO | Here's what BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan (@crkesavan) said on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's remarks in Boston on Election Commission of India.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 21, 2025
"Rahul Gandhi who is on another 'Bharat Badnam Yatra', 'India Abuse Yatra' on foreign soil has once again, deplorably attacked… pic.twitter.com/d65oBjICKN
