Govt's caste census decision: Opposition parties claim victory

New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) As the Centre announced the inclusion of caste enumeration in the next census on Wednesday, opposition parties said it is a victory for their long-standing demand and sought time-bound implementation.

They claimed that the BJP has been compelled to "bow" to the will of the majority and demanded that the Centre now work towards increasing reservation.

Welcoming the Narendra Modi dispensation's "sudden" decision to include caste enumeration in the census exercise after "11 years of opposing it", Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said they support the government but want a timeline for its implementation.

" We want to know by when it will be done," he said, adding funds should be allocated for the caste census.

"This is the first step and Telangana is a model for caste census," the Congress leader said and reiterated the demand for removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

Former Bihar chief minister and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said the "socialists" have been advocating it for the last 30 years.

"Those who called us casteists for demanding a caste-based census have received a fitting reply. There is still much left to do. We will keep making these Sanghis dance to our agenda," Yadav said in a post in Hindi on X.

He said the "first-ever caste-based survey" in the country was also conducted in Bihar during the 17-month Mahagathbandhan government.

"What we socialists thought about 30 years ago reservation, caste census, equality, fraternity, secularism, etc. others start following decades later," he said.

The RJD chief said he and his party had demanded for a caste census to be conducted in 2001, but the then Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government did not do it.

"In the 2011 census, we again raised a strong demand in Parliament for a caste-based census. I, along with the late Mulayam Singh Ji and the late Sharad Yadav Ji, stalled Parliament for several days over this demand, and only after the assurance from the then Prime Minister, the late Manmohan Singh Ji, to conduct a socio-economic survey did we allow Parliament to function," he said.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been shying away from implementing this policy of social justice and had "falsely accused the opposition of dividing society".

He demanded that the government allocate funds to initiate the caste census with "complete transparency".

CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby welcomed the decision but stressed that it should be completed in a time-bound fashion.

"Wholeheartedly welcome the CCPA's decision to conduct caste enumeration as part of the decadal census. However, the failure to declare its timing is regretted," he said.

Baby said that a caste census is essential to ensure social justice in the planning and implementation of developmental activities and welfare schemes. "It ought to be completed in a time-bound fashion," he said.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav termed the Centre's decision as a "100 per cent victory" for the united strength of the PDA (Backwards, Dalits and minorities) and the INDIA bloc.

"This is a warning to the BJP government. Keep its electoral manipulation away from the caste census. Only an honest census can ensure that every caste receives its rightful share based on its population, which has so far been denied by the dominant forces," he said.

Announcing the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs on caste enumeration, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw alleged that the opposition parties have used caste survey as a political tool.

He alleged that the caste census was not included in all census operations conducted since Independence as the Congress governments have always opposed it.

CPI(ML) Liberation General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya called the move a "belated acknowledgement" of the popular demand.

"But the way they are targeting states where caste survey has taken place, making oblique comments of political motivation, makes their decision suspicious," Bhattacharya told PTI.

He, however, added that it is nonetheless a "welcome decision".

"In Bihar, a caste survey has already been done by the consensus of all political parties. The national caste census should follow initiatives taken by states," he said.

Elections are due later this year in Bihar, where caste dynamics play an important role.

Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue, and some states like Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have conducted such surveys. PTI