Yogesh K Porwar & Sunil Lohan
B
ommai demands a public debate on the caste census report
Former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wanted to release the caste census report out of fear of losing power and demanded that the report should first be made public and followed by a public discussion.
Responding to a question regarding All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha National President Shamanur Shivashankarappa meeting him concerning the caste census,Bommai told reporters here on Sunday that their stance on the caste census is clear.
This is not a caste census but a socio-economic survey. The state government does not have the authority to conduct a caste census; only the central government has that power.
The Supreme Court has also halted the caste census conducted by the Bihar government. Here, they are conducting some survey and labeling it as a caste census.
He further said this report is neither scientific nor are the statistics accurate. Several communities have raised objections. The report prepared by Kantharaj, who was the chairperson of the Backward Classes Commission, is not appropriate, and even the then secretary and members of the commission did not sign it.
Later, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, the current chairperson of the commission, revised and submitted the same report to the government without conducting any survey.
The Vokkaliga community has opposed this report. Even Deputy CM DK Shivakumar and many Congress leaders have opposed it. The All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha has also opposed it.
The MP said the CM is not addressing the concerns of all communities.Siddaramaiah should take everyone into confidence and initiate discussions.
Despite all this opposition, he is insisting on implementing it. First, let the report be made public, and let there be a public discussion. Siddaramaiah says he hasn’t seen the report, but he is the one who ordered its preparation.
Similar to how late V.P. Singh implemented the Mandal Commission report during his tenure as Prime Minister when he was about to lose power, the incumbent CM is now saying he will implement the caste census, Bommai added.
Act of Revenge
About the arrest of Union Minister Pralhad Joshi’s brother Gopal Joshi and the demand for Pralhad Joshi’s resignation, the former CM said Pralhad Joshi has no business or personal relationship with his brother.
I know his family very well. Congress is engaging in revenge politics. Whoever speaks against them, they ensure that an FIR is filed out of spite,”he said.
