Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge justifies fresh caste census in Karnataka
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge justified the decision to conduct a fresh caste census in Karnataka, saying it is necessary to reflect current realities.
'The last caste census was conducted ten years ago during Mr. Siddaramaiah's first tenure as Chief Minister. Much has changed since then, with several communities being reclassified. A new survey is essential to assess the present socio-economic and educational status of each caste. The same parameters used in the previous census will be applied again, along with new parameters,' he explained.
No Cabinet reshuffle
When asked about the Congress high command's recent meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Mr. Kharge clarified that the issues of Cabinet reshuffle and change of KPCC president were not on the agenda.
'We discussed several matters, including the caste census and the tragic stampede at M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru, which claimed 11 lives and injured 56 others during the RCB's IPL victory celebration,' he said.
Responding to the opposition's demand for resignation of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister over the stampede, Mr. Kharge questioned whether Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had stepped down following the stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
'Calls for resignation are justified only when there is deliberate wrongdoing. This was a tragic incident that should never have occurred. We are deeply saddened by the loss of young lives. It is heartbreaking to witness the grief of their parents. Our focus must now be on ensuring that such tragedies are not repeated,' he said.
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Congress is making an issue of the decision to pause Operation Sindoor. In line with the PM's public declaration to punish terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack, we launched limited strikes on terror launchpads and made it very clear that was a targeted strike. Pakistan treated our strike on terrorists as an attack on its territory, ending the distinction. It attacked our civilian locations. We gave a befitting reply on May 10 by damaging their airbases, while sparing civilian areas. Within no time, Pakistan sought a suspension of strikes. No one will have any reason to complain when the delimitation exercise is conducted. We will establish a very good balance and no one will be dissatisfied. DMK is raising the issue only because of the 2026 assembly elections. Delimitation is not going to happen by then, and they know this. The 2029 elections will be held with women's reservation Amit Shah The opposition has been raising the issue of losses we suffered during Operation Sindoor... I will only say that when the country is facing hostilities, one should refrain from saying things which hurt the morale of our armed forces, who have done a sterling job. Our agencies gave precise coordinates of specific targets for our forces to strike them with full force. Our scientists also deserve praise for developing weapons systems that proved so effective. Indus Waters Treaty has been kept in abeyance, not fully annulled. Will it be restored in future? No, it will never be restored. International treaties can't be annulled unilaterally but we had the right to put it in abeyance, which we have done. The treaty preamble mentions that it was for peace and progress of the two countries but once that has been violated, there is nothing left to protect. So you mean status quo ante will not be restored? We will use water that rightfully belongs to India. Paani Rajasthan tak will take the water that was flowing to Pakistan to Rajasthan by constructing a canal. Pakistan will be starved of water that it has been getting unjustifiably. What is your assessment of the situation in Manipur ? The situation in Manipur is not of terrorism, nor is it an anti-national issue. It is related to ethnic tension. We had an open border with Myanmar and when that country faced instability, infiltration started. Then the court order (on Meiteis also deserving quotas) triggered a spark. We need to keep in mind that in all the previous cases of ethnic violence in Manipur, the situation could be stabilised only after threefour years. Today, there is no atmosphere of violence, but the rift between the two communities (Meiteis and Kukis) has not been healed. We are seeking to bring about reconciliation; we invited them separately and then asked them to come together, and now we are discussing this at the political level. We are hopeful of success soon. When is an elected govt likely to be restored? Until the differences between the two communities are sorted, it will be difficult. Peace is very important. It has been alleged that in its third term, the Modi govt has been making key decisions under pressure, such as the one on caste census. This decision was not taken under pressure. The Modi govt has made the most significant contributions to inclusive and balanced development, encompassing both social and regional dimensions. Most of the poor are Dalit, backwards and minorities, and a larger part of the budget has been allocated to them. There is no bigger anti-OBC party than Congress; they tried to suppress the Kalelkar Commission report, and they did the same with the Mandal Commission. When the recommendations of the Mandal Commission were implemented by a non-Congress govt, Rajiv Gandhi gave the longest speech as leader of opposition, a record that has not been broken also because you don't have such leaders of opposition now. The opposition has said that the govt notification does not mention caste census. Caste count will be part of the Census, period. The PM has said so and there have been three press releases. But the PM had earlier opposed it and you had said this was an attempt to divide Hindus. We did say that it is an attempt to divide society. But we also decided to blunt it by agreeing to the demand. Our goal is to keep everyone united. By when should we expect the Census numbers? They should be available towards the end of 2027, may be a few months earlier as we are deploying a lot of technology. Instead of five to six years in the past, it may take five to six months. Is delimitation a possibility before the 2029 elections? The 2029 elections will be held with women's reservation. The southern states have concerns around delimitation. How do you propose to balance that with the demand of northern states that their representation in Parliament should be proportionate to their numbers? No one will have any reason to complain when the exercise is conducted. We will establish a very good balance and no one will be dissatisfied. DMK is raising the issue only because of the 2026 assembly elections. Delimitation is not going to happen by then, and they know this. BNS has been enacted, how far have you progressed with implementing it? The three laws (IPC, Indian Evidence Act and CrPC) were enacted by the British to preserve their rule. The idea was to protect their forces, their property and their own security. We have kept people's interests at the forefront. We have provided for technological changes that will remain relevant for a century; the definition of an e-document will remain unchanged, despite changes in technology from floppy disks to pen drives, for instance. It allows for e-hearing and e-arguments, and the entire chargesheet can be filed electronically, making the process paperless. Forensics have been made compulsory for several offences; videography of search and seizures is also compulsory. We have provided timelines to ensure that justice is available promptly, and rights have been provided to victims. Along with all this, there is computerisation of police stations, and multiple types of databases will be available, such as those related to narcotics or terrorism. In two years, our legal system will be the most modern in the world. The improvement in Assam shows that we are on track to reach the global average of convictions. An infiltrator has to leave India. Our country is not a dharamshala. If you need to visit India, you must obtain a valid visa from our embassy. Whatever the perception or political colour, the country's security is paramount Amit Shah There were attempts to integrate various aspects through e-courts and e-prisons. There is an arrangement called ICJS. Legacy data has been added, and 95% of the integration is nearly complete. A common software will be introduced by Sept, connecting all police stations, forensic labs, prosecution wings, courts and prisons. Infiltration has been a major issue and steps have been taken in recent months. The govt has been accused of communal bias in dealing with it. Lies should not deter us from doing the right thing. An infiltrator has to leave India. Our country is not a dharamshala. If you need to visit India, you must obtain a valid visa from our embassy. Whatever the perception or political colour, the country's security is paramount. Communal violence appears to have decreased… That is because we (BJP) are in office in most states. But Bengal seems to be an outlier? Things will improve there too after the next elections In Delhi, are you happy with the work done by the govt in the first 100 days? Rekha ji's govt has made a very strong start, whether it is on health, ration cards, tackling water issues, cleaning and development of Yamuna. Her govt has started work on stopping revenue loss. You can't do much more in 100 days. We have been able to successfully convey to officers that they have to work hard. Drugs have emerged as a major concern. How are you tackling the issue? For any fight, infrastructure is crucial and that is in place now. There is a fourlevel arrangement — at the national level, between state and central, in districts and it is now going to the level of DySPs and police. Apart from Bengal and Kerala, states have also set up narcotics control wings. We have managed to step up recoveries, laws have been strengthened, we can attach property, keep people in jail for longer duration, now police stations can test samples. Over the next five-six months, we will strike on cartels in a very coordinated way. What about the new BJP president? It will happen soon. Will you be able to repeat the electoral successes of Maharashtra and Haryana in Bihar, West Bengal and Kerala, especially with anti-incumbency factor against Nitish Kumar? We will post convincing wins in Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Bengal. We are confident of victory in Tamil Nadu. There is a debate around language in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. It's been raised in Tamil Nadu due to the polls. The public has clarity on the issue, and Indian languages have a bright future. Southern states have raised the issue of lower fund transfer and the formula being skewed against them. How do you view it? This is propaganda. Between 2004 and 2014, Rs 18.3 lakh crore was given as grants to states, and between 2014 and 2024, it was Rs 70 lakh crore. This aligns with the population of states. Are you hopeful of a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court on the waqf law? Absolutely. The law is entirely in line with the Constitution. The objective is not to offend or hurt religious sentiments in any way, but to eradicate corruption and make the operation of waqf transparent through the use of technology There is an effort to remove Justice Yashwant Varma. Is the govt seeking to use the opportunity for a National Judicial Appointments Commission-type body? Will we see some action during the monsoon session? There is no thinking within the govt (on NJAC-type body). For us, corruption is a major issue and when the Chief Justice of India in a letter has acknowledged Varma's culpability, then there is no reason to doubt. I am hoping that the removal happens unanimously. Will the same keenness be shown in the case of Justice Shekhar Yadav? It is not a corruption case, it is a case about conduct (of a judge), which is not within the purview of an elected govt, it has to be decided by the Supreme Court. Corruption and misconduct are two distinct issues with clearly defined boundaries.
