Following pressure from BJP, Karnataka government pulls out caste data from website

Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka has taken down details of a caste survey from its department’s website following pressure from the BJP, even though the party has been demanding publication of details of the national socio economic and caste census of 2011.

About three weeks ago, Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar attacked the government for putting up details of caste and contact numbers of all families surveyed on the backward classes department website, following which CM Siddaramaiah announced that it would be taken off. Shettar claims that the publication of such details was a breach of privilege and trust. Backward classes department principal secretary Shalini Rajneesh, however, told ET, “there is a PILin the HC against the publication of caste details. So the CM has made this announcement.”

The caste census, Siddaramaiah’s pet project, was done in April-May and 1.33 crore families in the state were asked details over 16 indicators of backwardness and 14 indicators of forwardness. Some of the backwardness indicators, besides caste, were lack of toilets at homes, lack of agricultural land, illiteracy, loans, physically challenged, transgender and women-headed households, all of which, according to the Backward Classes Commission, would entitle such families to greater benefits from the government.