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Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma has raised pointed questions about the caste census, accusing Congress of seeking credit for an initiative they did not undertake during their years in power. In a media interaction, Sharma outlined the long tenure of Congress governments and emphasised that the caste census was never conducted, even though the party had a significant hold on power for decades.
"I want to ask everyone through media, 16 years, Nehru was PM, but caste census was not conducted, 15 years Indira Gandhi was PM but she did not conduct caste census, 10 years Man Mohan Singh, 5 years Rajiv Gandhi...none of them conducted caste census...they never did caste census but they (Congress) still want credit for it," Sharma stated. His remarks come amid ongoing discussions about the caste census, which has become a contentious issue in Indian politics. While Congress has expressed support for the caste census, Sharma highlighted that the party failed to implement it during their leadership, despite ruling for a significant period. Sharma's statement suggests that Congress is trying to claim credit for an initiative that was not their priority when they were in power. The issue of caste census has sparked debate across the political spectrum, with parties like the BJP, including Sharma, questioning Congress's consistency on the matter. The Deputy Chief Minister's comments have put the spotlight on the history of caste census discussions and the lack of action from previous Congress governments. With the matter gaining more traction, Sharma's remarks further intensify the political conversation surrounding the need for a caste census and the party's position on the issue. Earlier, the Congress party passed a resolution demanding the immediate implementation of clause 5 of Article 15 of the Indian Constitution to enable reservation for Other Backwards Classes (OBCS), Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions. The resolution also said that updated caste data must be used to strengthen reservation policies. Ahead of this, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. (ANI)
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