Caste census report: All eyes are on special Cabinet meeting

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

As major communities battle it to out seeking a thaw in implementation of the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, the much-anticipated special Cabinet meeting will decide the fate of the survey on Thursday.

The meeting comes in the midst of one-upmanship between political leaders and community leaders belonging to Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, who are opposing the report, and the backward classes leaders, who have termed the report to be ‘scientific’.

Speculation is rife about the possibility of a Cabinet sub-committee being set up to study the report comprehensively and recommend about the action to be taken.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told presspersons in Kalaburagi that he would not allow injustice to any community, and that a decision would be taken at the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Responding to Channagiri legislator Shivaganga Basavaraj’s statement urging Lingayat legislators to resign in protest, the Chief Minister said that the legislator had expressed his opinion and the Cabinet will decide on the issue.

Elected representatives from the Vokkaliga community and from the Congress who met at Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday are learnt to have discussed the nature of the response from the community Ministers in the Cabinet.

While a section wanted to dispute the entire report, the other section advised that since the survey had been done through government machinery during the Congress government, it cannot be outrightly rejected. Discussion revolved around accepting the socio-economic status report while disputing the population data, sources said, adding that a redo of population count could be sought.

Meanwhile, the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has decided to meet its community legislators and Ministers after the special Cabinet meeting. The mahasabha has also sought legal advice on the report from a retired judge, who has already given his opinion.

Sources in the mahasabha said that owing to logistical issues and the Congress’ protest against price rise on Thursday morning, the meeting of legislators from the community as well as the meeting with the Rajya Vokkaliga Sangha will be held after the Cabinet meeting. “However, we are informally holding discussions with Vokkaligara Sangha representatives,” sources said.