Belagavi (Karnataka), Apr 15 (PTI) Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Tuesday alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was trying to incite division in society with the caste census, aimed at protecting his own “political interests”, as the time has come for him to resign.

He said the Socio-Economic and Education Survey report, popularly known as the caste census report could not be implemented and that the current government would not go ahead with it.

“The BJP is committed to the economic, educational, and social upliftment of backward and oppressed classes and to provide them justice. There is no doubt about it. But Siddaramaiah has conspired to strengthen his political roots using this issue (of the caste census). If Siddaramaiah had a genuine concern for justice, why didn’t he implement this survey during his earlier stint as CM?” Vijayendra asked.

Speaking to reporters, he added, “Later, when the Congress-JD(S) government was in power, Siddaramaiah was the coordination committee head. Why didn’t he get the caste census implemented then? Also, it has now been twenty months since this government came to power.” “He is remembering this issue now because the time for Siddaramaiah to resign is coming closer. He might have to vacate the CM post for someone else. So, to incite things, he is misusing it. No one should be under any illusion that the CM has a genuine concern on this matter,” he further said.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes’ report was placed before the cabinet on April 11, and it will be discussed at a special cabinet meeting scheduled for April 17.

The earlier Siddaramaiah-led Congress government (2013-2018) had commissioned the survey in 2015.

The State Backward Classes Commission, under its then-chairperson H Kantharaju, was tasked with preparing a caste census report. The survey work was completed in 2018, towards the end of Siddaramaiah’s first tenure as Chief Minister, and the report was finalised by his successor, K Jayaprakash Hegde, in February 2024.

Asserting that it is not possible to implement this caste census report and that this government won’t do it, the BJP state chief said that the report is outdated, as it has been ten years since the survey was conducted.

Accusing the Congress government of “hypocrisy” on this issue, he added that the BJP’s ‘Janakrosha Yatre’ against this government is seeing success, and the CM is attempting to divert attention from it.

The Karnataka BJP had launched its 16-day ‘Janakrosha Yatre’ on April 7, a statewide campaign against the Congress government for the hike in the price of essential commodities, alleged Muslim appeasement, and the alleged diversion of funds meant for Dalit welfare.

Alleging that Congress has been following the British’s “divide and rule policy” in the country, Vijayendra said that the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government is trying to divide communities in the name of the caste census and is using Muslims and SC/STs for vote-bank politics. PTI KSU SSK ADB