‘There is not any different possibility’: Sharad Pawar bats for caste census

By PTI

MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded a caste-based census, saying such an train was obligatory to make sure social equality.

Addressing a gathering of the NCP OBC cell, Pawar mentioned all people ought to get what’s rightfully attributable to them.

“We are not asking anything for free. There is no option but to conduct a caste-based census,” the previous Union minister mentioned.

Pawar mentioned Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes had benefitted attributable to reservations granted to them by the Constitution and related concessions are required for the Other Backward Classes.

The NCP chief’s feedback got here within the backdrop of calls for to revive OBC reservation in native physique polls in Maharashtra, the place elections are due this yr in plenty of native self-government establishments.

The Supreme Court earlier this yr rejected the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission’s interim report recommending the restoration of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in native physique polls.

“To provide concessions, the government should know the exact OBC population and hence a caste-based census was needed,” Pawar mentioned.

Based on the census figures, justice will be supplied to the group, mentioned the NCP chief, whose social gathering is a key constituent within the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) authorities.

Attacking the BJP for criticising the MVA authorities over the difficulty of political quota for OBCs, Pawar mentioned, “You had been in energy right here (in Maharashtra) for 5 years (from 2014 to 2019) and proceed to rule in Delhi (on the Centre) since 2014.

Were you sleeping until now?” He mentioned the NCP will face the upcoming native physique polls solely after resolving the OBC quota difficulty and added that the social group will certainly get its share in decision-making.

The NCP president mentioned Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, an ally of the BJP, has spoken in favour of caste census, however the saffron outfit’s mindset on the difficulty is totally different.

Pawar mentioned RSS chief Bhaiyyaji Joshi has opposed a caste-based census, saying it will ship a flawed message within the society.

“What is wrong if a correct picture emerges? The NCP will create awareness about it,” he mentioned.