Chirag Paswan hails caste census decision, says need to bring backward sections into mainstream

New Delhi: Union minister and LJP (Ramvilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Thursday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre's decision to include the enumeration of caste in the next census, saying it was necessary to bring the backwards sections of society into the mainstream.

Addressing a press conference here, Paswan said the decision taken by the NDA government will fulfil the dreams of Bhimrao Ambedkar as he slammed the Congress, RJD and other opposition parties for trying to claim credit for the caste census.

He alleged that opposition parties are jostling with each other to take credit even though they did nothing while they were in power.

"Yesterday, the NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a very important decision. It was need of the hour, " the minister said.

It will help bring those sections of society that were not receiving any benefits of government schemes or the reservation policy into the mainstream, Paswan said.

This decision will further strengthen social justice, he added.

Slamming the Congress and other opposition parties, Paswan alleged that they started taking credit for the Centre's decision while they only used the issue of caste census as a "political weapon" to mislead people for votes.

Rahul Gandhi's party was in power at the Centre for many years after Independence, but it did not conduct caste census, he charged. "It's only Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had the will to do it," he added.

Paswan termed the caste surveys conducted in the Congress-ruled Karnataka and Telangana as non-transparent and motivated by politics.

He rejected the opposition charge that the Modi government has decided to include caste enumeration in the next census with an eye on elections, particularly in Bihar.

"Had it been so, we would have done it ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections," Paswan contended.