BJP may also start talking of caste survey as LS polls near: Akhilesh

said only after the caste survey, there will be social justice as people of various castes will get benefits (in reservation and government schemes)

Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said by the time the 2024 Lok Sabha polls get near, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may also start talking about caste survey.

Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav at a meet of party’s state backward classes cell in Lucknow on Oct 13. (Sourced)

While the SP and other such parties had been demanding a caste survey, the Congress has started also talking about and supporting the demand. “The demand for the caste survey is not new. Now more and more (parties) have started talking about it. Even those who were opposed to it are now talking about it,” he said at a conference organised by the party’s state backward classes cell here.

Members from the backward classes such as--Kashyap, Nishad, Bind, Mallah, Kahar, Kewat, Majhwar, Gond and Machua participated in the conference. Akhilesh said because of the ‘misplaced policies’ of the BJP government, ‘injustices’ had been happening with the backward, Dalit and minorities.

He said only after the caste survey, there will be social justice as people of various castes will get benefits (in reservation and government schemes) according to their share in the population. The event was organised and coordinated by the UP Samajwadi Backward Classes Cell president Rajpal Kashyap.

‘Israel issue being poeticised’

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the event, Akhilesh charged the ruling party with engaging in politics over Israel and Hamas conflict. He said: “Today by hoisting Israel’s flag, politics is being done. They (the BJP) are not talking about the price rise (in India). We are against any kind of war. We are against any loss of life. We are against all types of terrorism”.