Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara hints at caste census discussion in cabinet meeting

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara hints at discussing the caste census in the upcoming cabinet meeting. Meanwhile, he expresses support for India's military actions in response to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday indicated that the caste census could be discussed in the cabinet meeting scheduled to be held on May 9.

"The agenda has not come yet. The caste census may be raised tomorrow," the minister told reporters here.

The Karnataka government recently launched a comprehensive caste census targeting Scheduled Castes (SCs) to gather empirical data on sub-caste demographics.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, addressing a press conference, said the exercise aims to ensure equitable distribution of reservation benefits and uphold social justice.

The survey, which will run from May 5 to May 17, will be conducted in three phases: door-to-door visits, special camps, and an online self-declaration option. A one-member commission headed by retired High Court Judge Nagamohan Das will oversee the process.

Earlier on Wednesday, in response to the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack, G Parameshwara said that everyone must stand in unison since it was a matter of national security.

He said that Congress stands with the Indian government for initiating such an action against Pakistan that aims to dismantle its terror infrastructure.

"As a political party, we are with the Indian government in taking this action. We welcome it. It is a question of national security. All of us should be one voice right now. We are with the government and the action taken by them. We have started initiating the civil defence advisories from the Home and Defence Ministry... We have taken special interest in protecting major stations such as power, irrigation, or dams," Parameshwara told reporters here.

Indian forces conducted the precise strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir under Operation Sindoor on Wednesday.

The strikes were aimed at avenging the victims of the Pahalgam attack and eliminating key Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) leaders and camps involved in planning attacks on Indian soil.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also praised the Indian Army for its precision strikes targeting terrorist bases not only in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) but also deep inside Pakistani territory.

He hailed the operation as a decisive blow to cross-border terrorism and assured Karnataka's full backing to the central government's actions.