BJP and RSS have no faith in social justice, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah speaks to media on caste census, in Bengaluru on May 1, 2025.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the BJP and RSS do not have faith or commitment to social justice.

Speaking to reporters at Tubinakere helipad in Srirangapatna taluk near Mysuru on May 2, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the RSS, during its 100-year history, had always opposed social justice. “From the time of Miller Commission initiated by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the RSS has consistently opposed social justice,” he said.

The RSS, founded in 1925, will be completing 100 years, but the organisation has never accepted reservations, he said.

Claiming that the BJP government had announced a caste census due the consistent pressure from Congress leaders, Mr. Siddaramaiah said Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi was strongly insisting on such a caste survey for the last two years while All India Congress Committee (AICC) President Mallikarjun Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

Though the Centre had announced a caste census along with the general population census, Mr. Siddaramaiah was unhappy that the BJP-led government had not come out with a time-frame for the exercise. He wants the caste census to be accompanied by a comprehensive socio-economic and educational survey.

The Chief Minister argued for removal of the ceiling of 50% on reservation. With such a ceiling, Mr. Siddaramaiah said reservation cannot be provided to the deserving sections in proportion to their population.

To build an equal society, there is a need to empower everybody socially, economically and educationally, he said.

Extend reservation to private sector

Mr. Siddaramaiah said he would appeal to Mr. Modi to not only fix a time frame for the caste census and take all steps necessary to remove the 50% cap on reservation, but also extend reservation to the private sector.

He urged the Centre to implement the recommendations of the Rohini Commission, which has submitted a report to the President of India about two years ago, after going through the issue of sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBC) to ensure equitable distribution of reservation benefits.

Unrest over murder in Mangaluru

On the murder in Mangaluru on May 1 night, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he had directed the police to immediately trace the accused, arrest them and take action as per the law.

He said he had spoken to the police on May 1 and the government had sent the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) to Mangaluru. He said he learnt that the murdered person was a rowdy-sheeter, and the probe into the murder is underway. Any human life is valuable, he added.

With regard to BJP’s visit to the scene of murder of Suhas Shetty in Mangaluru, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the BJP is always looking for opportunities to politicise such incidents.

Referring to the Pahalgam terror strike, the Chief Minister lamented the security failure and wondered why the Prime Minister did not visit the site. Claiming that he learnt from a party leader, who visited Pahalgam, that there was no police or security personnel. “When so many tourists visit the place, shouldn’t police personnel be deployed?”

When reporters brought to his notice the reported threat calls received by Assembly Speaker U. T. Khader, Mr. Siddaramaiah said he too has received threat calls. The police had been informed and instructed to trace the callers and take necessary action, he added.