BENGALURU: The powerful Veerashaiva Mahasabha finds itself in a spot of discomfort as the government’s contentious Scheduled Caste survey, led by a commission under Justice Nagamohan Das, gathers steam.
The commission, which began collecting detailed data on May 5, has set off complaints of confusion, particularly among non-SC communities.
Seeking to end the confusion, Mahasabha president and Davangere South MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa issued a statement, insisting that non-SC citizens, especially Lingayats, only need to provide the name of the family head and total number of family members. “The list of 44 data points is meant for SC respondents,” he said.
‘Citizens caught off-guard’
With the Mahasabha ramping up its organizational strength, having held elections in over 150 taluks, Shivashankarappa issued a call to all 178 local units to spread the word that Lingayats are not required to disclose all details to enumerators.
Mahasabha secretary Renuka Prasanna reported complaints pouring in from bewildered citizens caught off-guard by surveyors at their doorsteps. “There is confusion. The commission must issue an immediate clarification,” he urged.