'Not a political response but continuation of long-standing vision': Dharmendra Pradhan on caste census

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. (File photo/PTI)

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recently said that decision for a "caste census is a step towards principal social justice, not politics".

The Narendra Modi government’s decision to include a caste survey in the forthcoming census has BJP critics terming it a U-turn and the Congress claiming that its pressure forced the ruling party’s hand. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan disagrees with this and underlines that for the PM Modi-led BJP, affirmative action has never been about vote-bank politics.

During an interview with Times of India, when asked about why PM Modi suddenly backed caste census after years of silence, Pradhan said, "This is not sudden. BJP has always had a philosophical commitment to social harmony, social jusrice and affirmative action. From Jan Sangh era to Atalji and Advaniji's leadership during Mandal Commission, to today's govt under Modiji - our stance has been consistent. This isn't a political response to Congress, it's a continuation of a long-standing vision."

"Let me remind you, in 2024 itself, the home minister said caste enumeration would be considered at the right time. That time is now. We are not reacting Congress; we are fulfilling a national commitment," he added.

Rejecting Congress' claim of a moral victory, Pradhan branded Rahul Gandhi's celebration as "the peak of arrogance and bankruptcy of imagination".

Further discussing about the timing of caste census and whether it aligns with the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, Dharmendra Pradhan told TOI, "A census is a constitutionally empowered exercise. Rahul Gandhi and the Congress seem unable to grasp that distinction. Our decision is not driven by electoral anxiety but by institutional process."

"We are creating a national framework for social justice. If anything, this reinforces BJP's reinforces BJP's seriousness about structural reforms, rather than merely responding to regional pressures," he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by PM Modi had decided to conduct a caste census along with the national census. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced the decision during a press briefing on cabinet decision.

Vaishnaw had said, "While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey."