New Delhi, May 1: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has on Thursday hit out at the Congress, accusing it of trying to take undue credit for the Centre’s recent decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census.
He said the move lays bare the difference between the BJP-led government's “genuine intent” and the Opposition’s “empty sloganeering.”
Speaking at a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Pradhan described the decision as a "gamechanger" that has garnered support from several opposition parties. "The gamechanger decision has exposed the gap between our real commitment and the Opposition's hollow rhetoric, though many opposition parties have welcomed it," he said.
The Centre had announced on Wednesday that caste-based data will be collected in the next census in a “transparent” manner. The government also criticised opposition parties for using caste surveys as a political weapon ahead of elections.
While the Congress and other opposition parties have been pushing for a nationwide caste census for years, turning it into a major electoral issue, states like Bihar, Telangana, and Karnataka have already conducted their caste surveys.
