Mangaluru, 13 June 

The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has strongly criticised the Congress-led Karnataka government for scrapping the findings of the 2015 caste census, calling it a betrayal of the State's backward classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minority communities.

In a statement on Friday, SDPI said the comprehensive survey was conducted over eight months, involving 1.6 lakh government officials and costing Rs 165 crore. The report was completed and submitted earlier this year. However, the government has now dismissed the data as "inaccurate" and "outdated", announcing plans for a fresh caste-based survey to be carried out within 90 days.

The party accused the government of yielding to political pressure from dominant caste-based leaders and questioned its commitment to social justice. It demanded the immediate public release of the original report and called for a judicial investigation into the circumstances surrounding its rejection, asserting that taxpayers’ money cannot be wasted for political convenience.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the cabinet had unanimously decided to conduct a new socio-educational survey but declined to comment on the anticipated cost.