Sep 03, 2024 07:06 PM IST
RJD supremo Lalu Prasad launched a frontal attack on the BJP-led NDA government over the issue of the caste census.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday declared that the opposition would compel the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), to conduct a caste census.
In a post on X, the former Bihar chief minister said the opposition would “hold RSS, BJP guys by the ear, make them do sit-ups, and get the caste census done.”
Yadav’s comments come in the wake of a statement by the RSS, which appeared to soften its stance on the issue. On Monday, RSS leader Sunil Ambekar indicated that the organization had no objection to collecting data on specific communities or castes, provided that the information is used strictly for their welfare and not as a political tool.
“We will hold RSS, BJP by the ear, make them do sit-ups and get the caste census done. What authority do they have that they will not conduct a caste census? We will force them so much that they will have to do it. The time has come for the Dalits, backward, tribals and poor to show unity,” Lalu Prasad posted on X in Hindi.
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He wrote that after he returned to Patna after a routine check-up in Singapore. Prasad’s kidney transplant operation was successfully done in Singapore in December 2022.
Ambekar, speaking after a three-day coordination meeting in Rajasthan, described caste and caste relations as a “very sensitive issue” for Hindu society, stressing the need for a serious approach that prioritizes national unity and integrity.
The demand for a caste census has gained momentum in recent months, particularly after the Supreme Court’s ruling on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Opposition leaders argue that without accurate data on caste demographics, it is impossible to implement targeted policies that address the needs of marginalised communities.
What RSS said on caste census
The RSS, however, maintains that any steps taken in this direction should be backed by a consensus among the affected communities
“So, as RSS thinks, yes, definitely for all welfare activities, addressing to the particular community or caste which is lagging behind and so special attention is needed to some communities and caste. So, for that the government needs the numbers. It is very well practised. So, the government needs numbers, it takes. Earlier also it has taken. So, it can take it. No problem,” Ambekar said.
“But it should be only to address the welfare of those communities and caste. It should not be used as a political tool for electioneering. And so we put with a caution line for everyone.”
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