Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India] June 18 : BJP MLA Ram Kadam criticised the Congress party, saying they have no right to raise the caste census issue. Reacting to Congress leader Sachin Pilot's statement on caste census, the BJP MLA questioned the Congress party's credibility on the issue due to their past record of alleged corruption.
While speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Kadam said, "This is the government of PM Modi, where promises are fulfilled when they are made. The people have been observing this for the last 11 years...Congress has no right to raise this issue (caste census). When they were in power, they were involved in corruption. Every new day, there was a new case of corruption..."
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Sachin Pilot questioned the intention of the BJP-led Union government over the caste census, accusing them of delaying the exercise earlier by citing COVID as an excuse.
On the caste census, Congress leader Sachin Pilot told reporters, "BJP and PM Modi had earlier said that the demand for a caste census is being raised by 'Urban Naxals', and they even mentioned in parliament in writing that they do not want to conduct it. After pressure from the opposition, they suddenly accepted our demand. But the notification now says the census will be conducted in 2027.
He also questioned the budget allocation to start the exercise in 2027. "Earlier, they delayed it using COVID as an excuse, and even now, we doubt their intention to fulfil this promise. Around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore is usually spent on the census, but this government has allocated only Rs 570 crore in the budget"
He stated that the caste census ensures that the government schemes' benefits reach every beneficiary.
"The caste census is not just to know a person's caste -- it is to ensure that government schemes are reaching the people, to check whether they are benefiting from them, and to understand the employment rate..."
The notification to conduct the Census was published in the official Gazette on Monday, following a high-level meeting held in Delhi, where the Home Minister reviewed the plan along with the Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI), and other senior officials.
The Population Census 2027 will begin with a reference date of March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country. The reference date for snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026.