In the midst of conflicting views between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar regarding the release of the State’s caste census report, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge publicly denounced Shivakumar’s stance in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
“All upper caste people are united on this,” Congress chief charged, when the BJP members sought his opinion on the differences within Karnataka government.
In a discussion on two Bills concerning Jammu and Kashmir, senior BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi alleged that the Congress’s ‘love’ for Other Backward Communities (OBCs) is insincere, citing Shivakumar’s position on the caste census.
“Kharge must tell us when will your government make the caste survey report public. The Deputy Chief Minister signed on a petition against making the report public,” Modi said.
Parliamentary Affairs Ministe Pralhad Joshi also alleged that that besides DK Shivakumar, Congress MLAs and Veerashaiva Mahasabha leaders have opposed it as well.
Kharge claimed that Shivakumar and the BJP are against the caste census report.
“He is also opposing, you are also opposing,” Kharge said. “Both are one in this issue. This is the character of caste. Upper caste people will be united internally,” he said.
