"Their intention is to divide Hindu community": Union Minister Pralhad Joshi slams Karnataka caste survey

Dharwad (Karnataka) [India], September 21 (ANI): Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday slammed Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over the caste survey, alleging that the intention behind it was to divide the Hindu community in the name of caste and creed.
Addressing reporters here Joshi asked, "Congress party is always anti-Hindu. They are always creating problems. Have you ever heard of Lingayat Christians, Brahmin Christians, SC Christians, or Harijan Christians?".
"Siddaramaiah, under the guidance of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, wants to break Hindu society because he is an ultra-leftist and an anti-Hindu... Their intention is to divide the Hindu community in the name of caste and creed," he said
Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today said that the State government will resolve all the issues related to the caste survey to be conducted in the state from September 22 to October 7.
"Nothing will happen, don't worry. We will resolve all problems, all those issues...We will see that all problems are sorted out and that we will come out with a new survey," Shivakumar told reporters here.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parmeshwara has said that the data from the caste survey will not be used for any reservation, but can be used for governmental programmes for those in need.
"It is not the question of any particular caste. It is only to enumerate the numbers of each particular caste. This is not going to be used for any reservations," Parmeshwara told ANI.
"It is to see whether educationally or in terms of progress, how far these communities have come after Independence. So after this, I think the data can be used for governmental programmes or to make any special programmes for those who have been deprived. This is the basic idea of this enumeration of the data," he added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had yesterday reaffirmed his government's commitment to conduct a caste survey in the state, describing it as an essential step to ensure equal opportunities for disadvantaged communities.
Addressing reporters in Gadag, Siddaramaiah clarified that the exercise was not merely a caste count but a comprehensive assessment of the state's social fabric.
"The survey proposed to be conducted in the state is not just a caste survey, but an economic, social and educational survey. This survey is being conducted to provide equal opportunities to the disadvantaged by obtaining details of the caste of the people, as well as their economic, social and educational conditions," Siddaramaiah said.
Rejecting criticisms and conspiracy theories surrounding the survey, the Chief Minister said, "The Central government will also conduct a caste survey, and will there be a conspiracy in that too? No minister has expressed opposition to the survey. To bring equality in society, the poor should be given priority in government schemes."
Responding to the BJP's request to the Governor to instruct him to reconsider the survey decision, he said, "The BJP is doing politics in the survey issue. There is no question of dividing caste in the survey issue."
On the inclusion of the Kuruba community in the Schedule Tribe category, he said that the previous BJP government had made the recommendation to include the Kuruba community in ST. But the Central government has returned this proposal, and the government will give an explanation for it. The decision to include any community in ST will be made by the Central government. (ANI)