Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not against conducting a caste census. This statement marks a notable shift in the party’s stance on this contentious issue. According to Shah, a decision on whether to conduct a caste census will be made after extensive consultations with all stakeholders.
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Reacting to this announcement, Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss expressed his optimism by predicting that the caste census may take place in mid-2024. However, he emphasized that if the Central government indeed intends to move forward with a caste census, it should promptly initiate consultations by forming a commission and aim to obtain its report within six months. This, he argues, would demonstrate the BJP’s genuine commitment to conducting the census.
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Ramadoss recalled a similar promise made by Rajnath Singh, who, during his tenure as Union Home Minister, had pledged to examine the possibility of conducting an Other Backward Classes (OBC) census alongside the 2021 decadal census. Unfortunately, that promise remained unfulfilled, leaving doubts about the BJP’s commitment to such endeavors.