Bengaluru: Opposition Leader R Ashok challenged the Congress to explain why it did not conduct a caste survey during its tenure.Speaking at a press conference, he said the Narendra Modi-led government has decided to conduct a caste census to uphold social justice. Despite Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi serving as Prime Ministers after the British, Congress never conducted a caste survey. He claimed Congress lacked even basic awareness for such an initiative and that the proposal for a caste census was rejected during Manmohan Singh’s tenure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that women’s reservation will be implemented by 2029, and the caste census will aid this process. Ashok congratulated the Prime Minister for this commendable work.

He criticized Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for targeting the BJP. In 2015, a caste census was conducted, but its report was released only after ten years. Congress should reflect on this delay. Ashok demanded that Congress apologize for failing to conduct a national caste census and challenged Siddaramaiah to explain why it was not done.

He clarified that only the central government has the authority to conduct a caste census, not the state government. People are questioning what will happen to the state’s caste census report, prepared at a cost of ₹150 crore. Some seers have claimed that no one visited households during this survey.

Siddaramaiah must clarify the status of this survey, as various communities are protesting against the report, and some have even announced plans to conduct their own surveys. Ministers have also opposed the report. Ashok alleged that Siddaramaiah is using the report for political gain as he faces the risk of losing power.

The central government’s survey will be used by the Election Commission, but the state’s report will end up in the “trash bin” and serve no purpose. He called the report, allegedly prepared at Siddaramaiah’s residence, unofficial.

Ashok also raised concerns about a bus driver performing namaz inside a bus. He questioned what would happen to passengers if the driver performed namaz while driving, attributing such incidents to Siddaramaiah’s appeasement politics. He demanded the driver’s immediate dismissal. He further criticized Siddaramaiah for attending a Muslim gathering and assuring them of his support, as well as for making controversial statements on war-related issues before backtracking.

Ashok claimed that DK Shivakumar’s Congress and Siddaramaiah’s Congress are separate entities, indicating a split within the party. He mocked ministers like Thimmapur and Santosh Lad for gaining attention in Pakistani media while lacking recognition in the state.