Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 3: The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the Congress-led state government of deliberately delaying the implementation of internal reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), calling the delay “suspicious” and politically motivated.

Addressing a joint press conference at the BJP state office in Bengaluru, former deputy chief minister Govind Karjol said, “We fear a suspicious delay in the implementation of internal reservation by the Congress government in the state.”

Karjol emphasised that the Supreme Court’s verdict dated August 1 last year had empowered state governments to enforce internal reservation policies. “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 noted.

He further alleged that the Siddaramaiah government’s failure to act promptly may be due to internal political pressures. “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.

The former deputy CM informed that a state-wide survey among Scheduled Castes for internal reservation will commence from May 5, and added that a BJP delegation met with the commission chairman on Friday to discuss associated challenges.

To ensure the credibility of the process and instil trust among Scheduled Castes, Karjol urged the Congress government to take the lead. “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 said.

Adding to the criticism, former Union Minister V Narayanaswamy stated that the Kantharaj Committee report — which includes data from a caste census — has been tabled before the state Cabinet. He accused some Congress leaders from dominant communities of resisting the report's findings.

“Cabinet ministers H C Mahadevappa, G Parameshwara, Priyank Kharge, K H Muniyappa, and R B Timmapur have not voiced any opposition regarding the data concerning Scheduled Castes in the report,” Narayanaswamy said.

He explained that the Kantharaj Commission had carried out both a caste census and a social and educational survey, which provided population statistics for 101 Scheduled Castes. “These figures largely confirm the findings of the earlier Sadashiva Commission and Madhu Swamy Committee reports,” he added.

However, he criticised Mahadevappa, Parameshwara, and Kharge for their “ambiguous stance” on the Kantharaj report. “They have neither accepted nor rejected it outright. Therefore, they may continue this dual stance even with the data from the upcoming Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das-led survey,” he said.

Narayanaswamy concluded by demanding that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announce a date for implementing internal reservation before the new survey begins. “This would demonstrate his commitment clearly,” he stated.

BJP State spokesperson H Venkatesh Doddahatti and SC Morcha State vice president Hoodi Manjunath were also present at the press meet.