The Congress government in Karnataka has come under sharp criticism from community leaders and BJP for what they call a dangerous and divisive “caste engineering” exercise. The draft caste list released by the Karnataka State Commission for Backwards Classes, which includes dozens of so-called Christian sub-castes, has triggered widespread outrage, with several communities accusing the government of misusing reservation for political ends and deliberately attempting to divide Hindus.
The inclusion of sub-castes such as Adi Andhra Christian, Akkasaliga Christian, Billava Christian, Brahmin Christian, Devanga Christian, Jalagara Christian, Kuruba Christian, Reddy Christian, and Vishwakarma Christian in the draft list has been described as “manufactured identities” that neither exist in reality nor are recognised by Christian groups themselves. Leaders cutting across Hindu communities have slammed the move as a ploy to expand reservation benefits to converted Christians at the cost of traditional Hindu castes.
Speaking at a press conference, BJP OBC Morcha State president Raghu Kautilya warned that the Congress government’s move represents a hidden agenda to erode Hindu unity. “The draft list has included as many as 57 sub-castes that never existed. This is a deliberate attempt to divide Hindus and deprive them of reservation benefits. It is nothing less than a conversion guarantee scheme,” he alleged.
Representatives from several influential communities, including Ganiga, Eediga, Nekara, Savitha, Uppara, 24 Mane Telugu Shetty, Kuruba, Gounder, Vishwakarma, Madiwala, Lingayat, Mudaliar, Rajput, and Ursu, joined the press meet and vowed to launch statewide agitation if the draft list is not immediately withdrawn. Religious leaders have also extended support to the movement.
“On one hand, the Congress tries to inflame Hindus during festivals like Dasara, and on the other, it secretly undermines the very foundations of Hindu society through such fraudulent classifications. This is not social justice this is social destruction,” leaders declared.
The BJP and community representatives have also demanded accountability from the Backwards Classes Commission. They argued that the Commission’s role is limited to studying existing caste dynamics and recommending reservations, rather than creating fictitious categories.
“The chairperson Madhusudhan Naik must withdraw the draft list and tender a public apology. The Commission’s job is not to manufacture new castes or appease the ruling party’s vote bank politics,” Mr. Raghu said.
The BJP has submitted a memorandum to the Commission, questioning the inclusion of Christian sub-castes and warning against the misuse of reservation. It also raised concerns about the practical implementation of the socio-educational survey, scheduled to begin on September 22.
Over 100 Christian sub-castes, including Kumbara Christian, Madiwala Christian, Nekara Christian, Kuruba Christian, and even Brahmin Christian , have been included in the draft list. Were these present in the official SC/ST or OBC lists of the government? Were they included in the H. Kantharaj Commission report of 2015? What is the logic behind their sudden appearance now?” the memorandum asked.
The BJP also pointed to procedural lapses in the survey process. It argued that the fortnight-long survey is too short to cover the state’s population, especially since teachers remain untrained and many households may be missed due to holidays. “The earlier survey for internal reservation, meant to cover just 17 percent of the population, took two months and still remained incomplete. How can such a hurried exercise produce credible results?” the party questioned.
BJP leaders have expressed suspicion that the Congress government is deliberately using the caste survey to redraw the political and social landscape of Karnataka. “This is not about justice for backward classes. This is about sowing seeds of division among Hindus, empowering conversion lobbies, and creating a permanent vote bank for the Congress,” the BJP leaders alleged.
They also raised concerns about illegal immigrants influencing the survey. “There are many illegal Bangladeshis staying in the state. Before altering caste equations, why hasn’t the Commission consulted the Centre on this issue?” the memorandum asked.
Community representatives have resolved to continue their agitation until the government withdraws the draft list. They warned of statewide protests, saying they will not allow the Congress government’s “hidden agenda” to succeed.
“The government has crossed all limits by tampering with the reservation system. We will not let them divide Hindus or misuse constitutional provisions for narrow political gains. If this draft is not scrapped, Karnataka will witness a massive public movement,” leaders declared.
