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BJP state president BY Vijayendra urged people from all castes to resist what he called the government’s conspiracies
Karnataka BJP chief Vijayendra and CM Siddaramaiah | Image: File
The opposition BJP on Sunday accused the ruling Congress party and the Karnataka government of “conspiring to divide” the Hindu community under the guise of the Social and Educational Survey, commonly referred to as the caste census.
Scheduled from September 22 to October 7 and estimated to cost Rs 420 crore, the BJP described the survey as “a political strategy by the Siddaramaiah-led government to divide Hindu society, inflate minority numbers, and appease the Congress high command.”
Party leaders also questioned the necessity of the survey, noting that caste data is already set to be collected in the national census by the Centre.
BJP state president BY Vijayendra urged people from all castes to resist what he called the government’s conspiracies.
Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga, he said the state government had no authority to conduct a caste census but urged citizens to list their religion as Hindu during the survey while mentioning their caste or subcaste.
“For the unity of Hindu society and the country’s integrity, it is our duty to identify ourselves as Hindu,” Vijayendra stated.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi, addressing reporters in Hubballi, alleged that the Congress was acting under the instructions of its top leadership, including Sonia Gandhi, to divide Hindu society.
He added that the survey aimed to favor infiltrators and weaken national unity.
Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, R. Ashoka, claimed the Siddaramaiah government was deliberately including castes with dual identities—such as “Kuruba Christian,” “Brahmin Christian,” and “Vokkaliga Christian”—to appease the Christian community and consolidate its leadership amid internal party struggles.
“The Congress government, under Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, is attempting to divide Hindus and encourage religious conversions,” Ashoka said.
He further alleged that the survey was intended to underreport the Hindu population in Karnataka, describing the state as a “laboratory” for the party’s strategy, with Siddaramaiah acting as the “headmaster” executing this plan.
Karnataka, India, India
September 21, 2025, 21:08 IST
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