Key Points

“We fear a suspicious delay in the implementation of internal reservation by the Congress government in the state,” said former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Govind Karjol while addressing a joint press conference at the BJP state office in Bengaluru.

He added that after the Supreme Court verdict on August 1 last year, the authority to implement internal reservation was granted to state governments.

“The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government argued in favour of internal reservation to resolve a 30-year-old issue, marking a historic development. Following the SC’s verdict, the governments of Haryana, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh swiftly implemented internal reservation and have been appreciated for their proactive approach,” he said.

The former Chief Minister added that, however, the Congress government under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has shown “suspicious” delay, seemingly due to internal pressures.

“Siddaramaiah, who portrays himself as a champion of social justice, now appears to have fallen behind other states, hanging his head in shame. The Karnataka government is in a position where internal reservation activists have to bring constant pressure and push the government to act at every stage. From May 5, a state-wide survey among Scheduled Castes for internal reservation will begin in Karnataka. On Friday, our delegation met with the commission chairman and discussed various issues and challenges,” he said.

He added that to ensure the survey is conducted properly and to build trust among the Scheduled Castes, the state government must take initiative.

The former Deputy Chief Minister also urged Siddaramaiah to announce the date for implementing internal reservation.

“The survey will conclude by May 20. Since technology is being used, the final report will be ready within a few days. To encourage active participation in the survey, Siddaramaiah must announce the date of enforcement of the internal reservation law in advance,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Union Minister Narayanaswamy said that the Kantharaj Committee report (caste census) has been presented before the state Cabinet, adding that while some Congress leaders from dominant communities have opposed it, Cabinet Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, G. Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, K.H. Muniyappa, and R.B. Timmapur have not voiced any opposition regarding the data concerning Scheduled Castes in the report.

“The Kantharaj Commission has not only conducted a caste census but also a social and educational survey. The current data reveals the population statistics of 101 Scheduled Castes. These figures largely confirm the findings of the earlier Sadashiva Commission and Madhu Swamy Committee reports,” he said.

Narayanaswamy said that ministers Mahadevappa, Parameshwara, and Priyank Kharge have taken an ambiguous stand on the Kantharaj report,” adding that they have neither accepted nor rejected it outright.

“Therefore, they may continue this dual stance even with the data from the upcoming Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das-led survey. Before the survey begins, we insist that Siddaramaiah announce a date for implementing internal reservation and demonstrate his commitment clearly,” he said.

BJP State Spokesperson H. Venkatesh Doddahatti and SC Morcha State Vice President Hoodi Manjunath were also present.

- IANS