Karnataka's Caste Census Controversy: Boycott Call and Data Security Concerns

Tejasvi Surya, the Member of Parliament from Bengaluru South, has issued a call for citizens to boycott the Social and Educational Survey, commonly referred to as the 'caste census,' which is being conducted in Karnataka. Surya raised concerns about the security of personal data being collected during the exercise.

Refusing to participate in the survey, the BJP leader accused the Congress government of using it as a tool for political malice, intending to create discord among different castes. He labeled the survey as 'illegal' due to alleged procedural flaws and potential security risks associated with the gathered data.

The Karnataka High Court declined to halt the survey but mandated the confidentiality of the collected data and emphasized the voluntary nature of citizen participation. With an estimated cost of Rs 420 crore, the survey aims to include around 7 crore people, with data from 13 lakh households collected so far.