Opposition to the Karnataka government's proposed implementation of a caste census has intensified with dominant communities raising concerns about the survey's findings. The report, which has not been publicly released, is said to contradict traditional perceptions regarding the numerical strength of various castes, particularly Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas. These communities, along with political parties, including sections of the ruling Congress, have criticized the survey as "unscientific" and demanded a fresh assessment. The Vokkaligara Sangha and the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha have expressed strong opposition, alleging that the report misrepresents their populations and demanding a fresh survey. Meanwhile, Dalit and OBC groups have defended the survey and its recommendations, including an increase in reservation for OBCs to 51%. The controversy has fueled political tensions in Karnataka, with opposition parties accusing the Congress government of using the caste census for political gain.
The portfolios were cleared by Congress president Rahul Gandhi as the exercise had turned out to be tricky for the party state leaders.
Five Parliamentarians from Karnataka including Janata Dal-Secular leader and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy, Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Nirmala Sitharaman and Pralhad Joshi, who were part of the previous Cabinet, on Sunday took oath in the new National Democratic Alliance Council of Ministers headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He also asserted that within 24 hours of taking oath, he would prove the majority on the floor of the House.
He also said the expansion of his cabinet would take place once state Congress leaders get an approval from their high command.
Kumaraswamy rejected a charge by the saffron party that he was trying to poach their lawmakers.
As the political turmoil lingered on with the ruling coalition making frenetic efforts to win back rebels who have pushed it to the brink of collapse, assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Monday announced the confidence motion sought to be moved by Kumaraswamy would be taken up at 11 am on July 18.
Kumaraswamy found himself in a raging controversy on Tuesday after a video of his telephonic instruction to "shoot mercilessly" those who had killed a Janata Dal-Secular worker in the party's stronghold of Mandya district on Monday went viral.
Sources said while the Janata Dal-Secular will have nine new ministers, the Congress will have nearly 12 of its legislators inducted into the cabinet. Lone Bahujan Samaj Party MLA N Mahesh will also be a part of the cabinet expansion and will be given a key portfolio.
The chief minister also said that the Janata Dal-Secular-Congress coalition government is secure under the leadership of senior Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.
Janata Dal-Secular chief and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 40 crore to nominate an MLC from the party, audio clips released by an MLC aspirant have revealed.
"The government should handle it delicately and follow what was done in Hyderabad," former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said.
The Karnataka high court on Tuesday refused to grant a stay on the proceedings initiated against former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his wife by a lower court on a private complaint filed against them. Justice K N Keshavanarayan rejected the applications filed by Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita for staying the proceedings before the Lokayukta special court. The Lokayukta court had on August 8 issued summons to Kumaraswamy and his wife, asking them to appear before it.
The Congress said that a chief minister "has to be always happy".
Kumaraswamy said he would remain the CM until he enjoyed the 'confidence' of the Congress MLAs and till the time God has written it in his fate.
"I'm an emotional person, but it is not my helplessness. Did I shed tears at a government programme? As chief minister I have worked towards implementing programmes strongly," he said.
Narendra Modi (Gujarat), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Rajnath Singh (Uttar Pradesh), Manohar Lal Khattar (Haryana), Sarbananda Sonowal (Assam), H D Kumaraswamy (Karnataka), and Jitan Ram Manjhi (Bihar).
The embattled Janata Dal-Secular leader also said he was ready for everything and that he was not here to cling to power.
Kumaraswamy alleged that 25,000 pen drives were distributed in the entire state, and cited a report in a regional daily to support his claim.
He asked if the prime minister's convoy was blocked would anyone accept it.
Janata Dal-Secular's H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday took the oath of office at a mega-gathering, attended by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia and strong regional leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati and Sharad Pawar. The event was planned in such a way that it would serve as a giant display of opposition unity against the Bharatiya Janata Party. Is the BJP watching?
'There are several people connected to this (sexual abuse cases), I don't want to take anyone's names. Kumaraswamy has said that those who are involved in this matter, action should be taken against all of them, and the affected women should get justice and compensation'
He had the support of 138 legislators in the 224-member House.
Kumaraswamy predicted that the political instability would continue in the state.
The case relates to protests near the I-T office in Bengaluru by the leaders including the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy against the income tax raids at the residence of Congress and JD-S leaders.
The Janata Dal-Secular leader also said that he may move the confidence of motion on May 24.
The new CM said the coalition government will work for the people and was not here to fulfil personal interests.
Seemingly expressing his displeasure against ministers demanding three more deputy chief minister posts in Karnataka, state Congress president D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said the party would respond to them appropriately.
The speaker told Kumaraswamy that "this (SIT) should not lead to a witch-hunt. The probe should be only to establish the truth."
"...I would appeal to him (Prajwal Revanna) to come back to Karnataka and face this investigation... If you have not done anything then why are you afraid, why did you run away? You have to face this situation," Kumaraswamy told a reporter in Bengaluru.
The Janata Dal-Secular leader, who was sworn-in Karnataka chief minister last week after the Congress extended unconditional support to his party, said he is ready with the guidelines on farm loan waiver, details of which will be disclosed on Wednesday.
Kumaraswamy met representatives of farmers groups and progressive peasants to discuss the problems faced by them.
In the much expected exercise that takes the state ministry's strength to the maximum permissible limit of 34, Kumaraswamy inducted three ministers from his party Janata Dal (Secular) and two from the Bharatiya Janata Party.
After Kumaraswamy was shifted out of the ICU, Governor Rameshwar Thakur, his father and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, accompanied by his wife Chennamma, other family members and friends visited him.
Close aides of Kumaraswamy told rediff.com that the former chief minister was stressed out after the recent political developments in the state and hence had to undergo check up. They said he was particularly stressed after the Janata Dal Secular-Bharatiya Janata Party government collapsed in the state.
Kumaraswamy made the stunning claim that the BJP offered the MLAs of his party Rs 100 crore and ministerial berths.
Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy was summoned by Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Monday and asked to explain his stand about the ongoing political crisis. During the hour-long meeting with the chief minister, the governor asked Kumaraswamy to make his stance clear. Thakur also wanted to know the Janata Dal Secular's next course of action. Kumaraswamy sought time till October 18, so that he could prove his majority in the Legislative Assmebly after a trust vote.
Sitharaman and Karnataka minister Sa Ra Mahesh were locked in an exchange of words over her itinerary.
Continuing his tirade against Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Janata Dal-Secular state unit President H D Kumaraswamy on Monday dubbed him the "most corrupt chief minister" of Karnataka.
Former Karnataka chief minister and Janata Dal-Secular leader H D Kumaraswamy on Saturday began an indefinite fast in Bengaluru pressing for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's charge that his family members amassed illegal wealth to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore.
