Congress delaying internal quota survey, says BJP

Hindustan Times

05-05-2025

A day ahead of the start of the statewide survey on internal reservation among Scheduled Castes (SCs), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the ruling Congress government of dragging its feet on implementing the policy.
The survey, aimed at identifying the most backward sub-castes within the SC community to facilitate internal reservation, will run from May 5 to May 23. Initiated following the recommendations of the Justice HN Nagamohan Das Commission, the exercise will begin in the districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, and Hassan.
BJP leaders, at a joint press conference in Bengaluru on Sunday, criticised the Congress-led government for what they described as an intentional and 'politically motivated delay' in implementing the internal reservation policy. 'We fear a suspicious delay in the implementation of internal reservation by the Congress government in the state,' former deputy chief minister Govind Karjol said.
He pointed out that the Supreme Court verdict dated August 1 last year allowed state governments to enact internal reservation, and said other states responded swiftly. '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.
He alleged that the Congress government was slow to act due to internal political dynamics. '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,' Karjol said.
He confirmed that a BJP delegation had recently met justice HN Nagamohan Das to discuss the challenges ahead of the survey, which he said should be conducted transparently to win the trust of the SC community. '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 added.
Former Union minister V Narayanaswamy said that the Kantharaj Committee report, which he said included some critical data from the current caste census, was already placed before the cabinet but resistance from certain Congress leaders belonging to dominant communities was hindering the progress.
'Cabinet ministers HC Mahadevappa, G Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, KH Muniyappa, and RB Timmapur have not voiced any opposition regarding the data concerning Scheduled Castes in the report,' Narayanaswamy said.
He accused Mahadevappa, Parameshwara, and Kharge of maintaining an unclear position. 'They have neither accepted nor rejected it outright. Therefore, they may continue this dual stance even with the data from the upcoming Justice HN Nagamohan Das-led survey,' he said.
He noted that the Kantharaj Commission conducted both a caste census and a social and educational survey, documenting population statistics for 101 SC communities. According to him, the findings of Nagamohan report echoed earlier reports from the Sadashiva Commission and the Madhu Swamy Committee.
He urged the CM to declare a date for implementing internal reservation before the new survey begins. 'This would demonstrate his commitment clearly,' he stated.
Meanwhile, home minister G Parameshwara, responding to media queries, reiterated the government's intent to follow through on the survey findings. 'Whatever the outcome of the findings, we will take and appreciate decisions,' he said.