Bengaluru, April 16
Doubling down his attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the caste census issue, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy questioned whether the benefit of the census is meant for Siddaramaiah himself or for the Congress party that provided him political backing.
He further remarked that Rahul Gandhi, unfortunately, seems to have failed to grasp the deeper implications of the census.
In a media statement released on the issue, Kumaraswamy said that public anger over the illegitimate and manipulated caste census is justified.
"Everyone knows the numbers are fake. If a thieving cat shuts its eyes and drinks milk, does the world not see it?" he said.
He accused the Congress government in Karnataka of tearing society apart in the name of the census, placing the state's peace at stake, and using that fire to warm their hands.
"The hidden agenda of the state Congress government is clear! The All India Congress Party has chosen the census as its weapon to win elections across the country," he alleged.
Quoting the lines of Kanakadasa 'Do not fight over caste, do you even know where your caste stands?' the Union Minister asked, "What does this mean, Hon'ble Chief Minister? Kanakadasa's vision is meaningful. The malicious intent behind your sponsored census report is questionable. What you say is one thing, what you do is entirely another."
Referring to the inclusive philosophy of Basavanna, Kumaraswamy accused Siddaramaiah of doing the exact opposite. "You go around writing Basavanna's words but your actions say, 'He is not ours, he does not belong to us!' Shouldn't there be a limit to this hypocrisy, Siddaramaanna?" he lashed out.
He added, "To you, social justice means belittling communities you don't favour! To you, social justice means appeasement of a particular community!! This is not caste balancing--it's a calculated move to unify castes for political gain."
He repeated, "So, is the benefit of the census meant for you? Or for the Congress party that offered you political shelter? Sadly, Rahul Gandhi doesn't seem to understand your deeper agenda."
He went on to say that the Congress party has already paid the price for the injustice done to Veerendra Patil in the past. "Have you forgotten? Neither you nor your party have learned anything from history. Neither of you possesses the quality of correcting your mistakes. You have disturbed the peace in Karnataka. You will be swept away by the tsunami of this census. People have now seen your true face," he warned in anger.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said on Monday that a special cabinet meeting was called on April 17 to discuss the Caste Census report.
Siddaramaiah also told mediapersons that their government will work hard to "build the kind of society that Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to build."
"Our government will work hard to build the kind of society that Babasaheb Ambedkar wanted to build...A special cabinet meeting has been called to discuss the Caste Census report on 17th April. It will be a single-subject discussion," Siddaramaiah said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This caste census debate is getting too heated. Can't we focus on actual development instead? 🤔 Both sides seem more interested in political point-scoring than helping people.
Kumaraswamy makes some valid points about political motivations, but his language is too aggressive. We need constructive discussions about caste representation, not personal attacks.
As someone from a backward caste, I welcome the census! Finally someone is counting us properly. The opposition is scared because the truth will come out. #SocialJustice
The cat and milk analogy was unnecessary. This is serious policy matter, not time for folksy sayings. Both leaders should present data instead of trading insults.
Why is everything about elections these days? Can't our leaders think beyond vote banks? Karnataka deserves better than this constant bickering. 😞
Interesting how both sides quote reformers like Basavanna and Ambedkar to justify their positions. Maybe we should actually read what these great thinkers said instead of using them as political tools!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.