BENGALURU: At a meeting of Congress legislators belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC), chaired by Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara here on Monday, it was decided that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah government be suggested to write to the Centre, seeking its intervention in what data on the caste census should be taken into account, while implementing the classification of the SC quota.
In its verdict on August 1, the Supreme Court had said the states have power to implement the quota within quota but also issued a rider that it should be based on verifiable empirical data. The meeting discussed this issue and felt that implementing the classification of SC quota, without getting clarity from the Centre, would prove counterproductive as anyone can move court and get the order stayed.
Hence, it has been decided that the government should write to the Centre as to whether to consider the 2011 census report or the Socio-Economic Educational Survey, also known as the caste census, carried out by the H Kantharaju Commission.
The Justice AJ Sadashiva Commission’s report on the classification of SC quota has its own flaws, as it had mentioned that over six lakh SC people did not mention their sub-castes and the previous Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government had rejected it. The cabinet sub-committee, headed by then law minister JC Madhuswamy, gave a report, based on which the cabinet decided to classify the quota, but that also was not factual, the Congress leaders said at the meeting.
Ahead of Siddaramaiah convening the cabinet meeting on October 28, the SC legislators are likely to hold another round of talks. All the 23 SC legislators attended Monday’s meeting.