E-Paper
U.P.: Stormy scenes in Vidhan Parishad over SP’s caste census demand
The motion moved by Naresh Uttam Patel, Swami Prasad Maurya, Lal Bihari Yadav, Shahnawaz Khan and others said that the Samajwadi Party had been demanding the caste census continuously and that people were agitated because of the lack of the caste census and its data
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) on Thursday witnessed stormy scenes and an adjournment over the caste census demand by the Samajwadi Party (SP) members. During the zero hour, the SP members moved an adjournment motion demanding discussion over their demand for caste census in the state.
SP member Swami Prasad Maurya said from 1872 to 1931, the country regularly had a caste census but since then no census data had come out. “Because of the lack of caste-wise data, benefits cannot be rightfully given to those who deserve them. The BJP when it was not in power had demanded a caste census but now it has been shying away from it,” he said.
Another SP leader Naresh Uttam Patel, who is also party’s state unit chief, said a caste census was necessary for social justice and for a share in benefits as per the share in the population. He said according to the 1931 census, there were 52% backwards and now they must have crossed 65% because of the addition of more castes to backward classes.
He said because of the demands from the socialists, the Congress government did a caste census in 2011 but the BJP government did not make the data public. When the BJP was not in power, BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Rajnath Singh had demanded the caste census, he said.
The motion moved by Naresh Uttam Patel, Swami Prasad Maurya, Lal Bihari Yadav, Shahnawaz Khan and others said that the Samajwadi Party had been demanding the caste census continuously and that people were agitated because of the lack of the caste census and its data.
Responding to SP members’ statements, deputy chief minister and leader of the house Keshav Prasad Maurya said: “You were sleeping over it when you had the government in the state four times. Now that you have lost power, you are worried about getting back to power, but you are not coming back to power till 2047 because the government led by PM Modi is taking care of all the castes and communities on the motto of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas (welfare of all) unlike yours motto of welfare of a section.”
He said the caste census was a central subject and not of the state. At this, the SP began sloganeering and entered the well and sat there on the floor. When the SP members did not budge, chairperson Kunwar Manvendra Singh adjourned the house for 15 minutes.
Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council on Thursday passed four bills namely Uttar Pradesh Urban Local Self Government Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Uttar Pradesh Municipalities (Amendment) Bill, 2023; Uttar Pradesh Private University (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and Uttar Pradesh Private University (Second Amendment) Bill, 2023.
