Bengaluru, April 14 : Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday that a meeting will be held on April 15 with Congress party MLAs from the Vokkaliga community to listen to their opinions regarding the caste census issue.

Shivakumar also hails from the Vokkaliga community.

'I have not gone through the entire caste census report yet; it is still being studied. Tomorrow, I have convened a meeting of our party's community MLAs. We will have a discussion with them and suggest ways to ensure everyone is respected without hurting anyone's sentiments,' the Deputy Chief Minister told media persons.

The meeting will commence at 6 pm at the official residence of the Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar in Bengaluru.

Responding to allegations that the Congress government is denying rights to Scheduled Castes and Tribes by awarding tenders based on religion, Shivakumar claimed: 'Reservation has been provided to SCs and STs. Our priority is to bring economically backward people into the mainstream of society. Congress is a party that ensures justice to all sections of society.'

When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remark that Congress has taken away OBC reservation, he replied, 'We have not taken away anyone's reservation. A BJP MP from Bengaluru targeted a particular community and made hateful remarks, saying they are only fit to fix punctures and lack knowledge. But we want to show that this community is capable of doing much more.'

The Vokkaliga community leaders and seers have expressed their reservations about the caste census report, saying that they will not 'accept' the report.

Sources said that the caste census report submitted by the Backward Classes Commission to the Congress-led government in Karnataka has pegged the Muslim population in the state at 18.08 per cent and recommends 8 per cent reservation for the community.

They said that the report places the Muslim population under Category 2B at 18.08 per cent, with a total population of 75.25 lakh.

'The report recommends increasing their reservation from 4 per cent to 8 per cent. This is higher than the Vokkaliga community, which is currently considered the second-largest population group in the state,' they said.

Sources said that the Vokkaliga population is recorded at 61.68 lakh, comprising 10.31 per cent of the total, adding that the report suggests increasing their reservation to 7 per cent.

Last week, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the Karnataka government will not take any hasty decision regarding the caste census report.

The caste census report was submitted to the state cabinet on Friday (April 10), and the state government is convening a special cabinet meeting on April 17 to decide on the report's recommendations.

However, no official statement has been issued to the media regarding the report's contents.

/IANS