Congress Split on Karnataka Caste Survey: Moily Raises Concerns, Alvi Disagrees
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Synopsis
New Delhi, April 22 (NationPress) Veerappa Moily has raised concerns over the Karnataka caste census, calling it unscientific, while Rashid Alvi dismissed these objections as untimely. Alvi emphasized that the census is complete and aligned with the Congress party’s commitments.
Key Takeaways
- Veerappa Moily flags the caste survey as unscientific.
- Rashid Alvi dismisses Moily's concerns as unfair.
- Alvi asserts that the caste census is already complete.
- Moily demands a reassessment of the census findings.
- Karnataka follows Telangana in conducting a caste survey.
New Delhi, April 22 (NationPress) In light of emerging tensions and disagreements within the Karnataka government regarding its caste census findings, Congress stalwart Veerappa Moily on Tuesday criticized the contentious survey, highlighting its unscientific nature. However, his concerns were dismissed by fellow party member Rashid Alvi.
Speaking to IANS, Rashid Alvi rejected Veerappa Moily’s objections to the caste survey as unjust and poorly timed, asserting that his claims are irrelevant since the census has already been finalized.
"The caste census in Karnataka is complete. If Veerappa Moily had concerns, he should have addressed them sooner. He should have communicated with the party leadership earlier," Alvi stated.
Alvi also dismissed worries about potential polarization and communal discord stemming from the report, which could jeopardize the party’s future, branding it as merely Moily’s personal perspective.
Veerappa Moily, a senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, labeled the state’s caste census report as unscientific and politically perilous. He advised the Siddaramaiah-led state government to reevaluate the findings and engage with all parties to achieve a consensus before proceeding.
In an interview with a prominent daily, Moily expressed concerns about the survey conducted in 2015 and called for a new census to reassure communities, predicting that the current figures could lead to disputes.
“The government cannot hastily make decisions in a situation that raises suspicions among various communities,” he emphasized.
“The survey indicates an increase in the Muslim population by approximately 4 to 6 percent, while many members of the Other Backward Communities have been reported at lower rates. This raises doubts about the scientific validity of the survey,” Moily told the daily.
Rashid Alvi further asserted that the caste-based census aligns with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party’s commitment to the public, and that the report will soon be made available to the public.
“Rahul has consistently advocated for a caste-based census, which is no secret. He should have voiced his concerns earlier,” he remarked.
It is noteworthy that Karnataka is the second Congress-ruled state to undertake a caste survey following Telangana.
