Mysore/Mysuru:  BJP State OBC Morcha President Raghu R. Kautilya said that with the Union Government notifying the population census, which also includes an enumeration of castes, a  seminar on ‘Jaati Ganati: Hinnele-Munnele’ will be held under the aegis of Samajika Nyaya Jagruti Vedike at Hotel Rio Meridian on New Sayyaji Rao Road here on July 26 at 11 am.

Addressing a press meet at BJP Office in Chamarajapuram here this morning, Raghu said that MLC A.H. Vishwanath will inaugurate the seminar. BJP National OBC Morcha President Dr. K. Lakshman, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, MLC N. Ravikumar, University of Mysore former Vice-Chancellor Dr. Hemantha Kumar, former Commercial Tax Officer Jagannath Sagar and others will take part.

Invited leaders of OBC and other marginalised communities from Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu will also take part, he added.

Pointing out that the population census, the country’s first digital census that also includes caste enumeration, he said that the aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of caste demographics in making policy decisions. The census will gather data on caste identities, moving beyond the limited information collected on Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), in previous censuses.

Lashing out at the State Congress Government for creating confusion on caste census,  he charged CM Siddaramaiah of discarding Kantharaj Commission Report on caste census conducted 10 years ago at a cost of Rs.165 crore, at the behest of the Congress High Command.

Asserting that the State Government has no authority to conduct caste census, he alleged that the Congress Government’s decision for carrying out a fresh caste census was nothing but another waste of public money. The Karnataka Government, instead of extending co-operation for the Centre’s population census and caste enumeration, was out to create confusion again in the minds of the public, he added.

MLA T.S. Srivatsa, City BJP President L. Nagendra, District President Kumbralli Subbanna and others were present.

SC has not given clean chit to CM in MUDA scam

Reacting  to presspersons on the sidelines of the press meet, MLA T.S. Srivatsa said that the Supreme Court has only annulled the notice issued by Enforcement Directorate (ED) to B.M.Parvathi, wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh in the multi-crore MUDA alternative sites allotment scam and has not exonerated the CM and his family members in the case. Srivatsa also wondered  whether the SC has  told that the 50:50 ratio alternative sites allotment scam, involving the CM and his family members, need not be investigated. The SC has only told that the ED notices were not in accordance with the Law, he said.