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If we are dubbed casteist for seeking caste census, then so be it, says SP chief Akhilesh Yadav
India will automatically be a developed nation if Lord Buddha’s path is followed, says Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav
Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said the caste census will ensure social justice in the country and, in turn, promote humanity, which should not be overshadowed by nationalism.
Addressing a backward classes conclave organised by Samajwadi Party national general secretary Swami Prasad Maurya in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav said, “And if, for demanding caste census, we are dubbed casteist, then yes, we are casteist.”
“But we will get caste census done (once in power),” Akhilesh Yadav asserted.
“The majority wants caste census, those who are negligible in their numbers in the population are blocking it for they fear that once caste census happens, the deprived sections, backwards and Dalits will move ahead,” he said.
“In ancient times, we were not backwards, we were forward people; because of societal conspiracies we became backwards.... Whenever we are in the government, we will get caste census done,” Akhilesh Yadav said.
He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address in which he talked about development and increasing India’s prestige abroad.
Akhilesh said: “Those who make tall claims about making the country developed from the ramparts of Red Fort should know that if they follow the path of Lord Buddha, India will automatically be a developed nation. Japan and China are the examples, though one of them is not the best example of democracy,” he said.
The conclave listed Lord Buddha, Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya, Emperor Ashoka, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, and Jyotiba Phule as great personalities among the backward classes. The event was held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan.
Akhilesh said Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore had said nationalism should not overshadow humanity.
Akhilesh also made a veiled attack on Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief Om Prakash Rajbhar who was earlier with the SP.
Akhilesh recalled that Rajbhar earlier used to take a swipe at a senior leader in the present dispensation in the state by saying “he got only a stool (nominal position)”.
But now that this person (Rajbhar) has gone to the BJP, he did not get even a stool, Akhilesh Yadav said.
Swami Prasad Maurya said: “The last caste census was done in 1931. Even according to that census, OBCs should have got 52% reservation, but we have 27% reservation because the Supreme Court has fixed a cap of 50% on reservation.”
“But now hundreds of castes and groups have been added to OBCs since Independence. So, by a conservative estimate, the OBCs are at least 70% of the population,” he said.
The conclave mainly had participants from Maurya, Shakya, Saini and Kushwaha communities that form the major chunk of OBCs in UP.
The SP’s Noorpur (Bijnor) MLA Ram Avtar Saini was the event coordinator.
