Amid survey row, DKS meets Vokkaliga MLAs

Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday met with Vokkaliga legislators from the Congress to discuss the controversial caste survey following concerns raised by the community over the survey reportedly shaking up the caste matrix in the state.

- Naheed Ataulla

BENGALURU:

The contentious survey report, tabled before the cabinet on Friday, is set to be discussed by the cabinet on April 17 amid opposition to its implementation, with the Vokkaliga and Lingayat leaders calling the exercise "unscientific".

Following the meeting, Shivakumar said, "As a representative of the community, I would like to discuss with our legislators on how to present the community's case in the cabinet meeting scheduled on April 17 to exclusively discuss the report. I am not a know-all expert on this, I would like to seek the opinion and suggestions of seniors from the community. I will not talk about this before the media."

Meanwhile, the Vokkaliga Sangha—the apex body of the dominant community—demanded the state government to reject the report and conduct a fresh survey.

"If this report is implemented, the Vokkaligas, Veerashaiva-Lingayats, Brahmins, and other communities that feel wronged will unite and protest," the Sangha's president Kenchappa Gowda said.

"These communities said the agitation should be like a Karnataka-wide bandh. We will have to show our strength. Implementing this report will cause injustice to all our communities," he further said.