'Need for relook at K'taka caste survey'

Former CM says the report, if accepted in the current form, will lead to polarisation & create tension in society

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S the Karnataka government is in a dock over the Socio-Economic and Educational Survey Report, which is based on 2015 data, senior Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily tells Preetha Nair that the government should take a relook at the data and consult all political parties to reach a consensus. Excerpts:

The special Karnataka cabinet meeting on caste census has been deferred without any resolution. What is the reason?

There was no consensus in the meeting as there were divergent views. Some of the ministers openly said that the population of large caste groups such as Lingayats and Vokkaligas was found to be lesser than what had been previously extrapolated. When I released the report of the Chinnappa Reddy Commission during my tenure as chief minister in 1992, the population of Lingayats was much higher than the current report. How can the numbers go down after so many years? Ideally, it can only increase. It is not correct to say that the numbers of the community have decreased. That requires reassessment.

Many, including Congress leaders and the Opposition, say that the report is 'unscientific'. Do you support the argument?