Hailing as “historic” the NDA government’s decision to conduct a caste census along with the Census, Union Food Processing Industries Minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan said on Thursday the move would lay a strong foundation to make India a developed nation by 2047 and to strengthen social justice.
Addressing a press conference, Paswan said Prime Minister was known to take appropriate decisions at appropriate times. “He has taken an appropriate decision,” he said.
Paswan also hit out at the Congress, stating that while the Opposition party used the caste census as a “political weapon to whip up emotions at the time of elections”, it was the NDA government that had agreed to conduct it.
He alleged that the Opposition was trying to spread a misconception that the decision had been taken keeping in mind the upcoming Assembly elections in Bihar. “Had it been so, we would have done it ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
“After Independence, there was no census based on caste. Today when it is going to happen, I believe this will give a strong opportunity to that section of the society, which perhaps could not join the mainstream to date or take advantage of the schemes of the Central government and state government to date. If I talk about reservation, then there are many such castes in it too, because there are many other major castes in that category who take more benefit of it. This decision has been taken to ensure equal share in every section of the society,” Paswan said.
Paswan said it was necessary to bring the backward sections of society to the mainstream. He said the decision taken by the NDA government would fulfil the dreams of B R Ambedkar, even as he accused the Congress, the RJD and other Opposition parties of trying to claim credit for the caste census.
Paswan, whose Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is a part of the -led National Democratic Alliance, alleged that the Opposition parties had done nothing while in power. “Yesterday, the NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a very important decision…. It was the need of the hour,” the minister said.
Paswan described the caste surveys conducted in the Congress-ruled Karnataka and Telangana as non-transparent and politically motivated.
