Akhilesh Yadav demands caste-wise census, says 'BJP gave false assurances to Dalits, OBCs'

Demanding caste-based census, Samajwadi Party MP Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday alleged that the BJP has given false assurances to Dalits and backward classes. He also demanded an increase in the reservation cap beyond 50% to accommodate backward and poorer sections from all communities.

Yadav, who supported the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Lower House of Parliament, said, "It is good that the states will be given the power to identify social and economic backward classes. Everyone wants a caste-based census."

The Bill that amends the Consitution and allows state and union territories to prepare their own list of social and economic backward classes was introduced in the Lok Sabha by the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar on Monday.

"BJP has given many false assurances to Dalits and backward classes," the Azamgarh MP said, adding that, "Appointing ministers belonging to the backward classes do not help in their development but increasing the reservation cap beyond 50% will help them."

Why there is noise for the caste-based census?

Since Independence, every Census in India has published data on Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), but not on other castes. In 1941, caste-based data was collected, however, it was not published. Due to the absence of caste specific data, there is no clear information about the population of OBCs and others. 

Prominent leaders, such as Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ramdas Athawale, who also belong to other backwards castes, have reiterated the demand for a caste-based census. Kumar recently said that if the Centre doesn't hold a Caste-based census, then he may hold talks to enumerate caste data at the state level.

Ramdas Athawale also batted for the caste-based census in the country. "There is a need for a caste-based census to figure out the community-wise population. This will also help avail social, economic and academic benefits to the needy," he had said.

The fresh demands for caste-based census come after the Centre, last month, said that they are not considered caste-wise data on population other than SC and ST in the national census. “The State governments of Maharashtra and Odisha have requested to collect caste details in the forthcoming Census. The Government of India decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in Census,” the Ministry of Home Affairs had said in Lok Sabha.