Bengaluru, Oct 7 (IANS) State BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra on Tuesday alleged that the ongoing Socio-Economic and Academic survey, known as the caste census in Karnataka, is becoming increasingly chaotic by the day.

“The government is yielding to someone’s pressure and acting in haste on the caste census,” he charged.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said, “The state government is changing its statements every day. The commission, without proper preparation, is conducting the census hastily, bowing to someone’s pressure. Just the other day, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar himself said that no one can answer 60 questions. They have added several irrelevant and unreasonable questions,” he criticised.

“Teachers are facing difficulties; they, too, have families and responsibilities. Even differently-abled persons have been deployed, which has drawn severe criticism. In Belur, Hassan, there was even an incident where a person was bitten by a dog. Many such incidents have caused injuries to several people. Overall, it seems the census is being conducted hastily and under pressure,” he alleged.

“If we speak more about it, CM Siddaramaiah immediately says that BJP leaders are anti-backward classes and don’t want justice for backward communities. But the fact is, the BJP, more than the Congress, is committed to ensuring economic, educational, and social justice for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and all backward communities in this state and country. It is because of this commitment that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a historic decision — one that no central government since Independence had made — to include caste enumeration in the national census,” Vijayendra stated.

Responding to a question, he said that the caste census in the state is being carried out unscientifically. “Even during the Kantharaju Commission report, similar confusion and chaos had emerged. The same situation is being repeated now,” he remarked.

Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council and Chief Whip N. Ravikumar, SC Morcha State President and MLA Cement Manjunath, former State Secretary Jagadish Hiremani, and Hassan District President Siddesh Nagendra were present.

The caste census began in Karnataka on September 22 and is being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes (KSCBC). It aims to collect data from about 7 crore people across 2 crore households using a 60-question questionnaire. The government has claimed that the survey will help in framing policies, reaching out to marginalised communities, and bringing them into the mainstream.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday stated that he is chairing a high-level meeting in Bengaluru to take a decision on extending the deadline for the Socio-Economic and Academic Survey, popularly known as the caste census. The deadline for the caste census is set to end on Tuesday (October 7).

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said, “I am convening a meeting on the survey. Immediately after the event celebrating Valmiki Jayanti, I will take up the review meeting.” When asked about the Education Department already issuing an order extending teachers’ deputation to conduct the survey, he responded that all matters will be discussed in the meeting.

The meeting is being attended by the Chairman of the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission, Madhusudhan R. Naik, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and senior bureaucrats. The CM is expected to announce the extension of the deadline after the review.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka State Government Employees Association has written to Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, demanding the declaration of holidays for all government primary and high schools in the state until October 17.

–IANS

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