Mayawati Slams BJP and Congress in Heated Caste Census Debate

BSP supremo Mayawati criticized both BJP and Congress for being anti-OBC amidst the caste census debate in parliament. She backed the national caste census, while Rahul Gandhi and Anurag Thakur engaged in a tense exchange over the issue.

On Wednesday, BSP leader Mayawati launched a scathing critique against both BJP and Congress during the parliamentary session, accusing both parties of adopting anti-OBC stances. Through her posts on social media platform X, she described the ongoing caste census dispute as a 'drama' aimed at deceiving the OBC community.

Mayawati asserted that the history of both parties shows consistent opposition to OBC reservations, both publicly and privately. She credited her governance for the implementation of OBC reservations and underscored the importance of a national caste census for public benefit.

'National Caste Census is a special national issue of public interest, towards which the Centre needs to be serious,' Mayawati said. Highlighting the need for inclusive development, she added that a caste census would ensure representation for the country's poor and marginalized communities. Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi and Anurag Thakur clashed over the caste census, with Thakur criticizing leaders for speaking on the issue despite unknown caste backgrounds. Gandhi countered, accusing Thakur of abuse and affirming his commitment to championing issues of marginalized groups.

The Congress party has pledged to conduct a socio-economic and caste census and aims to amend the constitution to raise the current reservation cap, as outlined in their 2024 general election manifesto. The debate over the issue heated up this week with both party leaders exchanging strong words in parliament.