Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked its INDIA block ally Congress on caste census, reminding them that the party did not conduct a caste census when it was in power.
“Congress is the party that did not conduct caste census after independence… When all the parties in the Lok Sabha were demanding a caste census, they did not conduct a caste census,” Akhilesh Yadav told ANI Satna in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh. “Why do they want to do so today? Because they know that their traditional vote bank is not with them,” he added.
#WATCH | Satna, Madhya Pradesh: On Rahul Gandhi’s statement, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, “…Congress is the party which did not conduct caste census after independence… When all the parties in the Lok Sabha were demanding a caste census, they did not conduct a caste census.… pic.twitter.com/aYEaUU9SwT
— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2023
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Congress has been demanding from the Centre to hold a caste census. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi also launched an attack on the PM Modi-led Centre for not agreeing to their demand.
Meanwhile, other INDIA alliance parties have also intensified their demand for a caste census, which only the Central government can conduct as per the law. Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar has done a caste survey, and many other state governments led by opposition parties have declared a similar exercise.
INDIA bloc has been demanding a caste census for the entire country, claiming that it would be conducive to policy-making for different groups in society according to their population.
On the other hand, the BJP-led central government has been claiming that the caste census would create “division” in society.
Meanwhile, in Chhattisgarh, the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government has announced to conduct a caste census in the state if voted to power. Rahul Gandhi reiterated his party’s commitment to holding a caste census. The Congress MP also targeted the Prime Minister, alleging that the PM doesn’t say a word about the caste census.
“I told Prime Minister Modi many times to get the caste census conducted across the country. But he doesn’t say a word about the caste census. Rather he says that there is no caste in the country. If we come to power in the state, we guarantee that we will conduct a caste census. Everybody needs to know about their strength in the country”, Gandhi said while addressing a poll campaign in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch.
(Source – ANI)