UP: Opposition Parties Raise Voice For Caste Census After Bihar Report; Congress Writes To CM Yogi

Lucknow: Politics over caste-based census has intensified in Uttar Pradesh after the Nitish-led Bihar Government released a report in this regard. A day after the Bihar Government released data on the caste census, almost all the opposition parties in UP have raised demand for it terming it necessary for social justice.

Cautioning the Yogi Government not to befool the deprived and backward communities, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati has said that the caste census in UP be started immediately. The Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav has said that this census is necessary for giving backward their due.

Congress which has already been holding state-wide conventions demanding caste census has written a letter to Chief Minister Yogi in this regard. Former state congress president Ajay Kumar Lallu has written a letter to CM Yogi demanding a caste census.

Mayawati worries over caste census

Mayawati on Tuesday said that certain political parties have become uncomfortable after the report on caste based census in Bihar is released. She said that the caste census is the first step in the struggle for the constitutional rights of OBCs. She said that the politics of the country is taking a new shape in favour of the neglected communities and anti-backward communal forces are worried due to this. She said that the central as well as the UP Government should start caste census immediately and give backwards their due.

Caste census could give a push to PDA

The SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav said that the caste census would give a new dimension to the PDA (backward, Dalit & minority) politics in the country. Terming this the numerical base for social justice, he said that this would pave the way for cooperation and collective development of all. Akhilesh said that instead of doing petty politics over this issue, the BJP should start a caste census in the entire country now. He said that such a census would disclose the real number of backward in the country and UP after which it becomes easy to make policies for these communities. He said that a caste-based census would ensure the development of the country.

Congress writes to CM Yogi

Meanwhile, congress which has already been vocal on this issue and organizing conventions to raise this demand, is all set to launch a stir for it. Congress leader and former state president Ajay Kumar Lallu has written a letter to CM Yogi on Tuesday demanding a caste census. Party organizing secretary Anil Yadav said that the UPA Government had once conducted a caste census but its results were not made public by the present BJP Government.

He said that caste census would help in making a proper scheme for the upliftment of deprived backward castes.