BJP not against caste census: Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has stated that his party, the BJP, was not against the caste census.

He told reporters here on Wednesday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has admitted several times that the survey that he got done during his tenure (2013-2018) was a socio-economic survey and not the caste census.

There was a lot of difference between the caste system in North India and South India. The government has the responsibility of ensuring justice for the oppressed classes. "I am not aware of the contents in that report. It is alleged that the report has been leaked. Let us see once the report comes. Siddaramaiah should have received the report while he was the CM for the first time. However, it was not implemented due to the 2018 Assembly polls. Now, we will wait and see what the government does," Bommai stated.

The appeasement of a particular community by the state government led to untoward incidents in Shivamogga. Instead of putting the accused persons behind bars, the minister was giving a clean chit to them, said Bommai.

The minister was misguiding people by accusing the BJP of orchestrating trouble. If those who are supposed to take action talk in this tone then on whom must the government repose faith? Home Minister G Parameshwar termed this incident a small one. The government's appeasement policy has encouraged anti-social elements.

Bommai said no one knew what the government was up to following pressure from the ministers and MLAs to release those who have been arrested in such cases. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar wrote a letter seeking the withdrawal of the cases against all those PFI activists who were behind the Hubballi incident. Realising the mistake, now the Home Minister has blamed the media for distorting his statement terming the Shivamogga incident as 'small'. The removal of the banners put by the Hindu activists in Udupi clearly shows the appeasement policy of the Congress government in the state.