The RSS has backed the caste census for welfare purposes but has urged caution in its implementation.
Photo: PTI
New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has revealed its stance on the national crisis caste censusThe caste census has become a hot topic in India’s political landscape, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spearheading the issue, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP, while backing the caste survey as an important tool for the welfare of society, has also warned that it should not be used for political gains.
RSS chief spokesperson Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar, after a three-day conclave in Palakkad, Kerala, said, “Caste census is a very sensitive issue and is important for our national unity and integrity. It needs to be taken up very seriously. Sometimes the government needs the numbers and it has done something similar.” [exercises] in the past.”
“But it is [caste census] “The aim of the reform should be solely for the welfare of these communities and castes. It should not be used as a political tool or for election campaigning,” he warned.
The comments prompted the Congress to accuse the BJP and RSS of undermining the welfare of marginalised communities.
“The RSS has openly opposed the caste census. The RSS says that caste census is not good for society. It is clear from this statement that the BJP and the RSS do not want to conduct a caste census. They do not want to give Dalits, Backward Classes and Tribals their rights,” the Congress message in X read.
“But keep it in writing: there will be a caste census and the Congress will do it,” the party said.
Rahul Gandhi has strongly advocated for a nationwide socio-economic caste census, which was a key promise in the Congress party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. The 54-year-old leader promised to conduct the census if the Congress won, stressing that it is “crucially linked to safeguarding the Constitution”.
The RSS’s backing for a caste census coincides with the inclusion of the issue on the agenda of the Parliamentary Committee on OBC Welfare. This decision comes after a strong advocacy by the committee members for a debate on the issue. The demand gained traction after the Janata Dal (United) (JDU), an ally of the BJP, supported the demand, along with contributions from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress.
The committee, chaired by senior BJP MP Ganesh Singh, has reportedly prioritised several issues for discussion, including the caste census, a review of the National Commission for Backward Classes and the performance of Union ministries vis-a-vis the welfare of backward classes. The first meeting of this reconstituted panel saw significant support for the caste census, with several MPs emphasising its importance and requesting the presence of officials from the Home Ministry to discuss the issue further.
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