New Delhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a strong counteroffensive against the Congress over the contentious issue of caste census, accusing the opposition party of spreading “misleading propaganda” and distorting facts. Senior BJP leaders Tarun Chugh and Sudhanshu Trivedi jointly emphasized the Modi government’s commitment to social justice and the significant representation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the Union Cabinet.

Addressing the media, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh called out Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, accusing him of “blatant lies” regarding the BJP’s stance on the Mandal Commission. “The BJP had fully supported the VP Singh government in implementing the Mandal Commission’s recommendations. The proceedings of the House are on record to prove this,” said Chugh. He added that under the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government, there were barely “two or three OBC ministers” in the entire cabinet.

Chugh’s remarks came in response to a post by Jairam Ramesh on social media, in which Ramesh had raised doubts about the BJP’s commitment to a caste census, pointing to the absence of specific mention in a recent gazette notification. “Jairam Ramesh is openly lying. The notification reflects the government’s broader agenda, and more details will follow in due course,” Chugh asserted.

At a press conference held in Delhi, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accused the Congress of either having a “blurred vision” or “deliberately twisting facts” to undermine the Modi government’s initiatives.

Trivedi reaffirmed that the government is committed to conducting a comprehensive census, which would include both socio-economic data and caste-based assessment—a historic first in independent India.

He also drew a crucial distinction between a census and a survey, explaining that only the central government is constitutionally empowered to conduct a caste census. “States like Telangana can only carry out surveys, not an official caste census,” he clarified. Taking a swipe at the Congress, he criticized them for misrepresenting the Telangana model, calling it misleading and constitutionally inaccurate.

Trivedi further accused the Congress of obstructing earlier efforts toward social justice, pointing out that the Jawaharlal Nehru government had blocked a caste-based census in 1951 and ignored the recommendations of the Kaka Kalelkar Commission.

Highlighting the Modi government’s inclusivity, Trivedi said, “Today, the Modi Cabinet has the highest number of OBC ministers in the country’s history.” He questioned the Congress-led Telangana government’s own track record, asking, “How many OBC ministers are there in Telangana?”

He also accused the Congress and its allies of running dynastic parties focused more on “family upliftment” than community welfare. “The Congress, Samajwadi Party, and RJD are obsessed with promoting their own families. Did anyone outside the Gandhi or Yadav families get a chance to rise?”

he asked.