CM hails social justice model in Karnataka

Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday pushed for adopting the state's backward class empowerment model at the national level, while accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of systematicaily blocking OBC welfare measures and weakening the framework of social justice in the country.

- Arun Dev

Speaking at the first All India Congress Committee (AICC) OBC Advisory Council meeting hosted in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said India’s democracy would remain incomplete unless backward communities were fairly represented in politics, education, and the economy. “India can never bea true democracy unless the majority who come from OBC, SC, ST and minority communities, that is the AHINDA communities, are not only counted, but also heard,” he said.

The session began on Tuesday at the KPCC headquarters and will continue at a private hotel on the second day. It will address the caste census against the backdrop of the Centre’s announcement that the national census will include caste data. The discussion gains significance as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has been vocal about the need for a caste census. The agenda also includes a discussion on Article 164(1) of the Constitution, with reference to developments in Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattis-garh.

During his address, Siddaramaiah accused the BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, of opposing social justice “not just politically, but ideologically,” and said their discomfort with caste-based data and representation had denied rightful opportunities to marginalised groups. “The BJP stalled the caste census, weakened the National Commission for Backward Classes, and bypassed reservations through privatisation and lateral entry,” Siddaramaiah said.