Karnataka Caste Census Stir Sparks Political Debate

The Karnataka government's upcoming cabinet meeting may discuss the contentious caste census report, previously submitted by Chairman K Jayaprakash Hegde. Lingayats and Vokkaligas have objected to the report, fearing its political implications, while various groups demand its release. The survey was completed in 2018 but remains undisclosed.

The Karnataka government is set to address a potentially divisive issue in its upcoming cabinet meeting—the long-delayed caste census report. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil hinted that the controversial dossier might finally see the light of day as soon as the next cabinet session.

Commissioned by Siddaramaiah's government in 2015 and spearheaded by then-Chairman H Kantharaju, the report has faced criticism, particularly from the state's influential Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities, who deem the survey 'unscientific' and demand a new one.

As Deputy CM D K Shivakumar and other significant figures lean toward dismissing the report, a political standoff seems unavoidable, with Dalits and OBCs lobbying for its release, thereby elevating the survey to a critical political flashpoint.

(With inputs from agencies.)