Dy CM Shivakumar holds meeting with Vokkaliga MLAs, MLCs from Congress on caste census

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday held a meeting with Congress MLAs, MLCs, and Ministers from the Vokkaliga community at his residence in Bengaluru, Karnataka, on the caste census issue.

Earlier, Shivakumar said that they would collect the opinions of Vokkaliga legislators on the caste census during the meeting.

“We will collect the opinions of Vokkaliga legislators on the caste census during the meeting. I haven’t gone through the entire caste census report, we are studying it. I would discuss the census with the legislators and advise them to respect the sentiments of all communities,” he added.

Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that the Caste Census report will be discussed in a special cabinet meeting on April 17 and, after that, in the state assembly, too. Soon, everybody can go through it and give suggestions.

“JD(S) and BJP people are asking for re-survey. (BY) Vijayendra (State president of BJP Karnataka and MLA of Shikaripura) suggested throwing it (the caste census report) in the dustbin. Who ruled the state from 2019 to 2023? H Kantharaju was nominated by the Congress government, and

Jayaprakash Hegde was nominated by the BJP government. What were they doing for 4 years and in the 1 year of coalition government?” Reddy said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that a special cabinet meeting has been called on April 17 to discuss the Caste Census report.

Siddaramaiah also told mediapersons that their government will work hard to “build the kind of society that Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to build.”

“Our government will work hard to build the kind of society that Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to build…A special cabinet meeting has been called to discuss the Caste Census report on 17th April. It will be a single-subject discussion,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Karnataka State Commission for Backwards Classes has submitted the caste census (socio, economic, and educational survey) report to the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet. If released, the caste census report will be the second by a Congress-ruled state after Telangana. (ANI)