Finance Minister Slams DMK's Caste Census Claims

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rebuffed the DMK's assertion that the inclusion of caste enumeration in India's upcoming census is a hard-earned victory. Sitharaman criticized the DMK for politicizing the issue and defended the central government's funding distribution and GST policies, while addressing concerns about corporate favoritism.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday dismissed the DMK government's claim that the Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census was a ''hard-earned victory.'' She criticized the Tamil Nadu ruling party for attempting to gain political advantage from this decision.

Sitharaman stated that the Union Cabinet has approved the caste census to aid government support for poor and marginalized communities. She highlighted a concerning incident in Tamil Nadu, where human waste was reportedly mixed with drinking water in a Scheduled Caste area, questioning DMK's claims of success.

Countering accusations of the central government's corporate favoritism, Sitharaman mentioned the Vizhinjam Port's handover to Adani Group under a previous Congress government, and challenged DMK's public versus private statements on federal funding. Additionally, she explained the collaborative nature of GST decisions involving state governments.