BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government had decided to include caste enumeration in the census, keeping in mind the coming Bihar Assembly elections. “In 2015 itself, our Congress government in Karnataka spent Rs 192 crore on conducting a socio-economic and educational survey. Inspired by this and keeping the Bihar elections in mind, the Union government had decided to conduct the census,” he told reporters here.
Siddaramaiah said that he would give full credit to Rahul Gandhi, who had been seeking such a caste census for long, for the Union government’s decision.
“I welcome the Union government’s decision to include caste enumeration in the census. To ensure social justice to people, a social and educational survey should be conducted along with this census. The ceiling of 50% for extending reservation should be removed to make quota proportional to the population,” he said.
"Like Rahul Gandhi, he had also sought reservation in private educational institutions as per Article 15, Clause (5) of the Constitution," Siddaramaiah said.
He said that a decision on the socio-economic and educational survey (SES-2015) report will be taken at the cabinet meeting on May 9.
On whether the Centre’s census will affect the state government’s survey, he said it will not as the SES-2015 report has already been presented before the cabinet. The Centre is yet to conduct the census, he added.
Will recommend to Union govt to increase reservation for SCs, STs: CM
On whether the Centre’s census will affect the state government’s survey, he said it will not, as the SES-2015 report has already been presented before the cabinet. The Centre is yet to conduct the census.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. In all, 5.90 crore people have been surveyed, covering 93% of the population. It is not possible to cover 100% of the population, Siddaramaiah said, stating that SES was conducted in a scientific manner.
He said that he will recommend to the Centre to increase the quota for the SCs and STs. “If it has to be increased, the Centre should amend the Constitution. The state government can tell the Centre how much it should be increased. Then the Constitution can be amended,” he added.
An announcement that the census will be conducted is not enough, it should be conducted and steps taken accordingly. BJP had opposed 73-74 amendments. It never favoured social justice. Those who have been opposing caste census have now announced that it will be conducted, he said.
On Union minister HD Kumaraswamy’s statement that the state government’s survey had no sanctity, Siddaramaiah hit back, stating that when Puttaranga Shetty was Backward Classes minister in the Congress-JDS coalition government, Kumaraswamy did not accept the report. Kumaraswamy had threatened to remove Shetty from the cabinet.
On Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s allegation that Nehru was against caste-based reservation and opposed caste census after Independence, Siddaramaiah dubbed it as BJP’s false propaganda.
Siddaramaiah further said the Centre was using the state government’s ideas, including SES and the five guarantees.