New Delhi: The BJP and the Congress are once again at loggerheads over the caste census. The government announced that it will be collecting caste data in the upcoming Census. In fact the Union Home Minister had already given hints about it, about a year back, said Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. He said that PM Narendra Modi is committed to giving rights to the poor and deprived.
The Union Minister for Education said that the decision to conduct a caste Census was welcomed by all political parties. He then thanked the PM for his far-sightedness on behalf of the party and also the government.
Opposition party posters
Congress party came up with a poster after the government announced that it will be conducting a Caste-based Census. It took credit for forcing the government to conduct a caste-based Census. The party poster with a prominent image of Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders, said “The world bows down, you only need someone who can make it bow”
The poster also had a quote from Rahul Gandhi in Hindi, which when loosely translated reads, “I had said, Modi ji will have to carry out caste census. We will make him do it.”
Apart from the Congress, its ally the Rashtriya Janata Dal also came up with its own posters, following the announcement of Caste census. A large poster came up outside the party office in Patna. They congratulated party chief Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav for having forced the Centre into accepting the demand for a caste Census. They also called it a major ideological victory and a moment of pride.
Union Minister criticises Congress
Dharmendra Pradhan took the opportunity to criticise the Congress party on the caste Census issue. He said, “The Congress party does not understand the basic difference between Census and a survey. The people who did not even give a Bharat Ratna to Dr BR Ambedkar, are trying to become champions of the “Dalits” now.” He reminded people that Ambedkar got the Bharat Ratna when the VP Singh government, which was supported by the BJP came to power.
Reacting to the posters put up by the Congress party, regarding the caste based Census, the Union Education Minister said, “This poster is a cocktail of hypocrisy and arrogance.”
