Caste census announcement: BJP leaders conduct ‘Palabhishekam’ to Modi

Hyderabad: BJP OBC Morcha National President Dr K Laxman said the Central Government’s decision to conduct a caste census alongside the national population census is a significant step toward achieving social justice.

He emphasised that this move will benefit all segments of society and contribute to the overall development and progress of the country.

The party leaders organised ‘Palabhishekam to PM Modi’s portrait at the BJP state office in Nampally, welcoming the decision.

Later, addressing the media on Thursday, he dismissed claims by the Congress party that they deserved credit for the decision made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. He pointed out that the last caste census was conducted during British rule in 1931. The Congress party, which governed the country for 60 years after independence, failed to include caste enumeration in the census, thereby neglecting the needs of various communities. After 94 years, the Modi government has made a historic decision to reinstate this process for the benefit of all sections of society, including the poor, marginalised groups, and Dalits. April 30 will be a day marked in history.

Dr B R Ambedkar provided rights to various communities, including Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), in the Constitution. Today, people across the nation, especially those in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, refer to Narendra Modi as “Abhinava Ambedkar” and “Abhinava Jyotiba Phule.”

The propaganda by Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy claiming that Telangana serves as a role model for caste enumeration is disingenuous. The Congress party has a long history of undermining the rights of backward classes and suppressing reservations.

During the UPA regime in 2010, BJP leaders such as Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, and Sushma Swaraj pushed for a caste census. However, according to Article 246 of the Constitution, it was categorised as a private agency, and a costly survey amounting to Rs 5,000 crore was conducted with the help of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NEC), but details of that survey have not been disclosed. Previously, a survey was conducted in Karnataka at the cost of Rs 300 crore, but the findings were not made public due to internal conflicts within the Congress party.

Currently, under Narendra Modi’s leadership, a historic decision to conduct a scientific caste census is underway. Steps are being taken to gather caste-specific information, design welfare programs, and allocate sufficient funds in the budget. The recent caste census executed by the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana was deemed unscientific. “Why was that information not made public? Why was it not shared in the assembly? Why were the village-wise, caste-wise details and their economic and social status not disclosed?” he asked.

In Telangana, where Muslims constitute 12 per cent of the population, only 10 per cent were classified as OBCs, resulting in injustice to backward classes. Although it was previously stated that 51 per cent of BCs are in Telangana, Congress distorted the figure to 46 per cent in the caste census. How can this be seen as a role model? Rahul Gandhi should answer for this discrepancy, he added.

For the first time, the NDA government conducted a caste census in Bihar, which was legally instituted in the assembly, and all the details were disclosed. However, some parties approached the court, resulting in a stay on the proceedings.

The caste census decision made by the Narendra Modi government will be executed comprehensively and historically. Based on Modi’s vision, this initiative aims to strengthen the social and economic foundations of the country. The fact that 27 OBC members are currently part of the Modi cabinet serves as a testament to this commitment, he said.