Thu Apr 17 16:12:31 UTC 2025: ## Karnataka BJP Accuses Ruling Party of Using Caste Census to Divert Attention
**Bengaluru, April 17, 2025** – The Karnataka BJP has accused the ruling Congress party of using the state’s caste census report as a political tool to distract from other pressing issues. Leader of the Opposition R. Ashok questioned the cabinet’s decision to request ministers submit written opinions on the report, suggesting a lack of internal trust within the government.
Ashok alleges that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is using the long-delayed caste census – a project initiated ten years ago – to deflect criticism over rising prices, law and order concerns, and perceived lack of development. He points to the inconclusive cabinet meeting and the subsequent deferral of a decision on the report as evidence of this strategy.
The BJP maintains the existing caste census report is unscientific and has demanded a new survey conducted using modern IT tools. Ashok questioned the cabinet’s failure to even discuss the possibility of a scientifically-reconducted census. The opposition party suspects a “conspiracy to blackmail ministers” surrounding the handling of the report. The ongoing saga of the caste census, according to Ashok, is a political drama designed to prolong public attention and shift focus away from the government’s shortcomings.
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