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In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the former's clarion call against caste politics in his Dussehra address was an incitement to oppose reservation on the lines of caste.
Taking a leaf out of the Bihar government, which recently came out with the inaugural caste census report, the Congress promised to conduct a similar exercise in Rajasthan and across the country if voted back. In his customary Dussehra address in the national capital on Tuesday, PM Modi called on the people to finish off forces that are trying to divide the country and its people on the lines of caste and regionalism. Addressing a huge gathering in Delhi's Dwarka, PM Modi said the burning of the effigy of Ravan on Dussehra should inspire people to take a pledge to shun leaders, who espouse ideologies that threaten to derail the country's march to progress and development. "It (the celebration) should not be confined to the burning of Ravana's effigies and Lord Ram's victory over the demon king but should extend to the triumph over anti-national and evil forces in the country," PM Modi said. Responding to his statement, CM Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday, "If we want to get rid of casteism, we must first get rid of untouchability, inequality, sexism and the exploitative system that comes with it. Baba Saheb Ambedkar implemented reservation with the intention of eliminating caste-based inequality. Our aim is to give reservations on the basis of caste." Earlier in the day, the Karnataka CM also took a jibe at his predecessor and JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy in Mysuru, saying that the latter's party and the BJP are dependent on each other. "Kumaraswamy is more desperate (for an alliance) than the BJP. He would not have won a single seat if he had not joined hands with the BJP. They are dependent on each other just as a visually impaired person leans on a cripple for support," the CM said. To a question on 'power famine' prevailing in the state, the CM said measures have been taken to overcome the shortage of electricity. "We will purchase power from outside and have issued an order that all private companies producing electricity in the state should provide their supplies to the government," he said. (ANI)
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