Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a statement on Friday, clarified his party’s stance on the issue of a caste census, asserting that the BJP does not oppose it. However, he emphasized that any decision regarding the caste census would be made following thorough deliberation and extensive consultation. Shah underlined the BJP’s commitment to addressing the matter responsibly and expressed that the party does not engage in vote bank politics. He stressed the importance of consulting with various stakeholders before reaching a conclusion, highlighting that using the caste census solely as a tool for electoral gains is not the right approach. This statement was made while he was launching the BJP’s manifesto, titled ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ (Modi’s Guarantee).
Recent discussions within the party’s central leadership in Delhi, particularly related to their outreach to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, also touched upon the issue of the caste census. The party aimed to counter the Congress’s claims that the BJP was opposed to a national caste headcount. National General Secretary of the BJP’s OBC Morcha, Dr. Nikhil Anand, reiterated that the BJP had never fundamentally objected to the idea of a caste census. He pointed out that the caste census in Bihar was a collective decision of the NDA government, emphasizing that it’s crucial to distinguish this from the BJP’s position, especially considering the circumstances surrounding the exercise, which occurred while the BJP was not in power, as Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had reversed his stance on the matter.
Post Your Comments