Caste Census Controversy: Congress Questions BJP's Commitment

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate criticizes the absence of a caste census mention in the government's recent gazette notification for the 16th Census, questioning the BJP's stance on the issue. While the government had earlier promised a caste census, the lack of explicit reference raises concerns over policy intentions.

In a sharp critique of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress leader Supriya Shrinate highlighted the absence of any mention of a caste census in the latest government gazette notification concerning the 16th Census. This omission, she argues, calls into question the BJP's commitment to conducting a caste-based enumeration, a promise previously assured by the government.

The notification, which outlines census schedules for the region, including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, fails to address the caste census. Shrinate further contended that delays in the decadal census prevent citizens from accessing benefits tied to government schemes and emphasized that her party's leaders pressured the government to consider caste-based data collection.

The Congress leader pointed to historical opposition by BJP and RSS figures against caste-based reservations. With the publication excluding mentions of caste enumeration, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh openly queried if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had retracted his support for such an inclusion, adding to the ongoing debate over the government's true intentions.

(With inputs from agencies.)