SOURCE ; NEW18
Last Updated:May 01, 2025, 10:47 IST
Dharmendra Pradhan hailed PM Modi’s decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census, calling it a historic step toward true social justice.
A file photo of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan (PTI)
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision on the caste census, and said the decision was not made suddenly, reiterating that ‘sabka sath sabka vikas’ has been the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s motive.
Pradhan also slammed the Congress party and said they are frustrated after the country chose Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister for a third time.
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The Union Minister defined the decision “the best way social justice was ever done” in the past, and said the development of everyone in the country has been the party’s priority.
“Yesterday, under the leadership of PM Modi, a decision was taken on the caste census. This was not a sudden decision; ‘sabka sath sabka vikas’ has been our motive. The development of everyone in the country has been our priority,” the Union Minister said as he addressed a press conference.
“Social justice was never done in such a way in the past. Caste census is coming for the first time since independence, and we were informed about it by Union Home Minister Amit Shah a year ago,” he added.
“Every section of the country is supporting and welcoming the decision. However, there are a few who took credit for the decision. It is noteworthy that Jawaharlal Nehru, who was the Prime Minister in 1951, had opposed the cast census,” Pradhan said, in reference to Rahul Gandhi’s X post, mentioning that the Congress had been pushing the BJP for a caste census.
“The Mandal Commission report was kept in cold by the Congress, even Rajiv Gandhi, in many of his speeches, had spoken against the reservation to the Other Backward Class (OBC),” he said.
“People of this country chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi thrice, and hence, the Congress is frustrated. They don’t even know what is survey and a census. People who never conferred the Bharat Ratna to Babasaheb Ambedkar talk about social justice today, they are arrogant and hypocrite,” the Union Minister said, as he slammed the Congress party.
THE CASTE CENSUS
In a major decision, the government on Wednesday announced that caste enumeration will be included in the forthcoming census exercise in a “transparent” manner and slammed the opposition parties for using the caste survey as a “political tool”.
Announcing the decision taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the census comes under the purview of the Centre, but some states have done caste enumeration in the name of surveys “non-transparently” which has created doubts in the society.
Noting that caste was not included in all census operations conducted since Independence, Vaishnaw alleged that the Congress governments have always opposed caste census and the party had used the issue as a political tool.
The minister alleged that the states ruled by opposition parties have done caste surveys for political reasons and emphasised that the Modi government has resolved to transparently include caste enumeration in the forthcoming pan-India census exercise.
Vaishnaw said in 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census should be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this after most of the political parties had recommended a caste census.
Soon later, former Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister TS Singhdeo termed the central government’s announcement as the victory of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for raising the issue consistently.
ALSO READ | Caste Census: History, Politics, And Its Significance Today
- First Published:
May 01, 2025, 10:43 IST
