BJP for broad categories in Census, not specific caste details

Caught between opposition from RSS and compulsions of OBC votebank politics, BJP today indicated that it favours inclusion of caste in Census but the data should not have specific details and stick only to the broad category of General, OBC, SC or ST.

Caught between opposition from RSS and compulsions of OBC votebank politics, BJP today indicated that it favours inclusion of caste in Census but the data should not have specific details and stick only to the broad category of General, OBC, SC or ST.

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"We have not changed the position we took in Parliament that caste should be included in the Census. But the party feels the data should not include specific caste details like Yadav, Kurmi, Lodh, and so on. Only the broad category of General, OBC, SC or ST should be mentioned," a senior BJP leader said.

While this stand would satisfy the RSS, the Sangh fountainhead, to some extent, it would also serve the BJP's purpose of wooing the OBC voters, party sources said.

BJP and other political parties have to send their final view on inclusion of caste in Census to the government by August 7.

The senior leader maintained that BJP was in agreement with RSS that caste was a divisive factor and thus went against the basic ethos of Sangh's nationalist ideology which looks at all Indians as one.

However, the compulsions of votebank politics, especially that of Other Backward Classes (OBC) who are not enumerated in the Census but get the benefit of reservation, has forced BJP to favour inclusion of caste in census.

BJP does not want to be seen as going against OBCs and had even fielded its backward class leader Gopinath Munde to speak on the issue during a debate in the Budget session of Parliament. Party general secretary Ananth Kumar had seconded Munde's views in the debate.

"There are several politicians who have become big leaders not because of their talents and abilities but because they belong to a certain caste and have become its representatives," the senior BJP leader said.

Sources said the BJP has conveyed its political compulsions in supporting inclusion of caste in Census to the RSS and tried to convince it that there was no other way out.