Opposition leader accuses CM Siddaramaiah of creating new castes and fuelling conversions
Mysuru
Opposition Leader R. Ashok on Monday denounced Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s caste survey, calling it “unofficial, unconstitutional and aimed at dividing communities.” Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Ashok alleged the survey was a “platform for religious conversion,” claiming it introduces 52 new caste categories to include Okkaliga, Dalit and Vishwakarma groups in Christianity. “They can manipulate numbers to show any caste as more or less,” he said, accusing the government of hiding internal divisions among Muslims and Christians while highlighting discrimination among Hindus.
Ashok claimed the survey seeks to alter the demographic balance by undermining the influence of Lingayats and Okkaligas, the state’s two largest communities. “It is impossible to finish such an exercise in 15 days when people are travelling for Dasara. The Centre has already planned the national census, and the state has no authority to conduct its own,” he asserted.
Highlighting economic issues, Ashok praised the Modi government for reducing GST on essentials like butter and ghee to 5%, and lowering taxes on items such as cement, electronics, and fertilizers. He accused the Congress-led state government of raising levies on milk, water, vehicle registration, and stamp duty to fund its welfare guarantees, calling it a “Gabbar Singh tax.”
Ashok also criticised the administration for poor infrastructure, alleging that companies are leaving Bengaluru due to pothole-ridden roads and delayed development works. He warned that Congress leaders were “fomenting disturbances” in Mandya, claiming fanatics from Kerala were influencing local unrest.
