Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 16 : Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Monday said that former UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav firstly raised the demand for the caste census and later it was given a push by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.
Prasad said that Akhilesh Yadav reiterated the demand in the 2022 UP Legislative Assembly elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He stated that caste census was included as one of the key promises in the manifesto of the party.
"The demand for a caste census was first raised by late Mulayam Singh Yadav. After him, SP National President Akhilesh Yadav continued this push. Be it the 2022 UP Assembly elections or the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, our party has consistently included caste census as a key promise in our manifesto--our manifesto is a sacred document for us", Awadhesh Prasad told ANI.
Furthermore, Awadesh Prasad asserted that under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav, the promises made by Samajwadi Party in its manifesto were fulfilled and highlighted that the party has repeatedly emphasised that once its government is formed in UP, caste census will be conducted.
"Under SP National President Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, the promises made in our 2012 manifesto were fulfilled. We've repeatedly emphasised that once our government is formed, we will conduct a caste census. Many castes granted rights under Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution are still deprived. Even after 75 years, the fundamental rights promised by Babasaheb have not been fully implemented", he said.
On Monday, the central government notified the population census, the process of which will begin in March 2027.
As per a gazette notification released by the Ministry of Home Affairs, "In exercise of the powers conferred by Section three of the Census Act 1948 and in suppression of the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Home Affairs dated March 26, 2018, the Central Government declared that a census of the population of India shall be taken during the year 2027, as per a circular released by the Ministry of Home Affairs."
The reference date for the census shall be March 1, 2027, except for the Union territory of Ladakh and the snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Furthermore, the reference date for the Union Territory of Ladakh and snow-bound non-synchronous areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026.
On June 15, Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Census during a meeting in New Delhi along with Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG& CCI) and other senior officials.