Kharge flays Karnataka deputy CM over caste census, accuses Cong leader of bond with BJP

Mallikarjun Kharge criticises DK Shivakumar for opposing caste census in Karnataka.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge criticised Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on December 12 for opposing the release of the caste census report in the state.

While addressing the Rajya Sabha, the Leader of the Opposition said that leaders from the upper caste appeared internally united on the issue. His response followed accusations from members of the treasury benches, suggesting that the Congress had a divided stance in the state.

The Congress government in Karnataka has postponed the release of the caste census report due to internal divisions between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy.

After Bihar government released its caste census data, Siddaramaiah has been facing increasing pressure to disclose the findings of a parallel study called the Socio-Economic Survey.

However, the results have not been made public after leaked information suggested a shift in the perceived dominance of Vokkaligas and Lingayats.

During discussion in Rajya Sabha on two Bills related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said the Congress party often shows its love and concern towards the Other Backward Communities (OBCs), but in reality the party doesn’t believe in it.

Modi said the party is divided on the caste census data as DK Shivakumar has been opposing its release and sought a reply from the Congress chief. He also accused the deputy chief minister of signing a petition against making the report public.

Kharge in his response said that Shivakumar and the BJP are against the caste census report. Shivakumar is opposing and so is the Bharatiya Janata Party and it shows the upper caste people are united internally on the issue.