Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday announced that the Congress central leadership has ordered that a new caste census be held in the state. DK Shivakumar, who was in Delhi with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, stated that the party high command has advised the chief minister and him to ensure that everyone is heard as far as the caste census is concerned.
No one should feel left out in caste census, says Shivakumar
Saying that caste census should be done in a way that no one feels left out, he said the central leadership has said this after several MLAs , ministers and MPs flagged issues.
"We will give fresh opportunity to everyone who felt they were left out in the earlier caste survey," Shivakumar said and added that the state cabinet will discuss this, plan and then ensure justice to all.
Last caste census in 2025 faced criticism
It should be noted that the last caste survey in the state, conducted in 2015 during the earlier term of Mr Siddaramaiah, faced controversy with many sections disputing the findings.
The Congress top brass on Tuesday said it has decided to hold re-enumeration of caste data in Karnataka to address concerns of some communities who complained of being left out of the survey that was conducted 10 years ago.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the party that also reviewed the government's handling of the Bengaluru stampede that claimed 11 lives on June 4.
The caste census emerged as one of the key state issues discussed in a meeting where Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge, senior leader Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar were among those present.
What KC Venugopal said on the Karnataka caste census
Briefing the media after the meeting, AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal said: "The caste census was discussed. The Congress party is thinking that whatever the Karnataka government has done in the caste census should be agreed to in principle. But there are some apprehensions from some sections and communities about the counting of the caste."
He noted that the state government had conducted the caste census a decade ago and the data was now outdated. "The Congress party has suggested to the chief minister to do a re-enumeration process within a stipulated time, say 60-80 days. This is what we decided about the caste census in the meeting," he added.
The move comes close on the heels of the Centre announcing the schedule of the national Census with caste enumeration.