They know all because they’re Infosys?: Siddaramaiah slams Murthys over caste survey

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 17, 2025: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah launched a sharp attack on Infosys founder Narayana Murthy and author-philanthropist Sudha Murthy for refusing to take part in the Karnataka government’s socio-economic survey, saying they were misinformed about the survey being only about backward classes.

Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah said, “This is a survey that is being done including the entire population. Under the Shakti Yojana, the poor and the upper castes will all be included. There is misinformation about this. The government has conveyed the messages of the ministers and the chief minister to the people through advertisements. It’s a survey of seven crore people of the state. It is wrong to think of the survey as a survey of the backward classes."

“Are the people from Infosys some kind of experts? This is not a backward caste survey; it is a survey of all castes. If they don’t understand this, what can we do? Whether it is ignorance or intentional, they know it. Just because they are Infosys, do they know everything? Do the upper castes get free electricity? Do upper caste women get to travel free on buses? This is the same. It is a survey being done for all castes," Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by Asianet News.

He further accused the couple of being misinformed about the caste survey and said it was an economic, educational and social survey of these people living in Karnataka. The Karnataka caste census, now underway across the state, includes 60 main questions and 20 sub-questions, designed by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes.

What Did The Murthys Say?

The matter arose after the Murthy couple, when approached by survey officials, said they did not wish to be part of it. They said that they do not belong to any backward category and hence, the survey would not be of any use to the government in their case. Their written response was submitted directly on the survey form provided by the officials.

Sudha Murty has signed a self-declaration letter for refusal to provide information in a pro forma issued by the Karnataka State Backwards Classes Commission for the Social and Educational Survey 2025. “We do not belong to any backward community. Hence, we will not participate in a government-conducted survey meant for such groups," she said in Kannada.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the Murthy family’s decision to decline participation in a government survey is entirely their choice. “We don’t force anyone to participate. It’s completely voluntary," he said, underlining that the survey aims to be participatory and not mandatory.

Karnataka Minister Santosh Lad has said that it’s completely Sudha Murty’s choice to be or not to be a part of it, adding that she boycotting it doesn’t imply that other people will also follow her. “The central government has offered a 10 per cent reservation for the economically weaker section. She also needs to comment on this," he said.

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge has also reacted to the news and said that her step is “inspired" by other members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). “It is surprising that a member of parliament makes such statements. Clearly, I think it is inspired by other BJP leaders or the co-direction, claiming it is voluntary, but more is expected from people like them because they inspire many generations and continue to do so," Kharge expressed.

The caste survey began on September 22 and was initially planned to end on October 7, but the government later extended it to October 18.