Bengaluru, 2 Sept 

A delegation of BJP leaders on Tuesday urged the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes not to conduct the Social and Educational survey, popularly known as caste census, "hastily", and urged that it be held during summer, instead of Dasara.

The delegation also expressed its strong displeasure to a list of 1,400 castes that has been published by the Commission, saying that new castes have been created that are not in any previous government document.

"Kuruba-Christian, Madiwala-Christian, Vokkaliga-Christian -- in this way, about 107 new castes have been created. They have been given code numbers. This is unacceptable," BJP State General Secretary and MLA V Sunil Kumar said after meeting Commission's Chairman Madhusudan R Naik.

Warning that this creation of new castes may lead to a mass movement across the State, the BJP leader said, "When it comes to Christians, we have heard about 2-3 sub-castes, and few sub-castes when it comes to Muslims."

He accused the government of trying to encourage "religious conversion" by adding the words Christian or Muslim in front of all Hindu sub-castes.

He also said the delegation urged the Naik not to conduct the survey “hastily” during Dasara. 

"The delegation has urged the Commission Chairman that it is not right to say that the survey will be completed in 15 days and that too during Dasara, under some pressure. It is not easy to survey 1.75 to 2 crore houses during this period. This should be reexamined and the survey should be conducted during summer," Kumar said.

The State government is to conduct a new 'Social and Educational survey' for 15 days between 22 September and 7 October.