Darbhanga (Bihar), May 15 (UNI) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was against caste census but under his sustained pressure, announced a national-level enumeration.
The leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha defied district administration's order to shift his venue and addressed the students at Ambedkar hostel in Darbhanga during which he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was against caste census. It was his pressure that forced the PM to get prepared for a national level caste census, which would be in the interest of deprived and oppressed sections of society, he added.
"We want caste census should be conducted fairly and in a proper way so that a real picture of the status of those who lagged behind on the path of development could emerge," said the Congress leader. He said such a census was conducted properly in Telangana where his party was in power.
"The Modi government should conduct the caste census on the pattern of Telangana, he added.
Rahul said that population of Schedule Castes(SCs), Scheduled Tribes(STs), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC) and minorities was 90 per cent in the country. Despite their large population, all of them were being subjected to torture and harassments everyday, he alleged.
The Congress leader said that participation of SCs, STs, OBCs and EBc was zero in higher judiciary, bureaucracy and corporate sector," he added.
Rahul said the government should make provisions for reservation of SC in private institutions. There was a law for reservation of these classes, but it was not being implemented either by the Modi government at the Centre or by Nitish-led NDA government in Bihar. "Congress will not rest unless reservation for them is given in private institutions," he added.
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