Maha Congress Harshwardhan Sapkal chief says it should be implemented in timely manner based on pattern followed by Telangana, Karnataka
State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal stressed on need to train officials and staff on the process and data collection methods. File pic
The Union government must announce a time-bound caste census programme and implement it on the pattern followed by Telangana and Karnataka, said Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he also hailed Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for consistently raising the demand for a caste census based on the principle of “proportionate representation according to population”.
“Rahul Gandhi’s advocacy for caste-based census was initially opposed by the BJP but the party later accepted it due to public pressure. His persistent efforts left the Narendra Modi government with no choice,” he said.
A caste census is not just a headcount but a significant social agenda, which would help resolve reservation issues for various social groups, including Marathas, and provide a clear picture of each community’s population, Sapkal said.
He also said that such a census could show that the population of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) might be higher than previously estimated. “The OBC population in Maharashtra could rise from the current 27 per cent to 64 per cent. The census will reveal the exact population of each community, helping address pending demands such as those of Patidars, Gujjars and Marathas,” Sapkal said.
Further, Sapkal stressed the need to train officials and staff on the process and data collection methods.
He condemned the blockade of Rahul Gandhi's convoy in Bihar, stating it was an act of authoritarianism and a violation of fundamental rights. He questioned why the government was afraid of Gandhi's interaction with students. The Congress had hit out at the JDU-BJP government in Bihar, accusing it of sheer dictatorship by “preventing” Gandhi from holding a ‘Shiksha Nyay Samvad’ in Darbhanga.
Sapkal also sought the sacking of Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah from the Mohan Yadav Cabinet and the BJP for his objectionable comments against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi. “Shah must be charged with sedition,” he said.
Colonel Qureshi came into the spotlight for regularly holding press briefings alongside Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh regarding ‘Operation Sindoor’ — the military operation conducted last week by Indian armed forces targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK).
27%
OBC reservation govt initially proposed
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