BJP must be intellectually honest on caste census, says Asaduddin Owaisi

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi calls for transparent caste census data collection to ensure fair education and employment opportunities.

 Stating that the most backward communities should get their fair share in education and employment, AIMIM president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the BJP-led Centre must be intellectually honest and ensure transparent collection and public disclosure of caste census data. He congratulated and thanked Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, for his leadership in implementing the historic caste census in Telangana, gave him credit for the Centre’s decision to include caste data in the upcoming census.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Mr. Owaisi said conducting a caste census at the national level was very much needed. “It was a long pending demand of many groups. I had also made the same demand since 2021,” he added.

He said that the Telangana caste census initiative, the first of its kind in independent India, revealed that 56.32% of the State’s population belongs to the Backward Castes. Telangana also proposed implementing 42% BC reservations and emphasised the need for proper data on the backwardness of Muslims, including various castes/groups among them.

“NSSO and other data clearly demonstrate that Muslims are economically, socially, and educationally backward. The BJP has opposed SC status for Dalit Muslims and reservations for backward Muslims. It’s for the BJP to be intellectually honest. The data must be collected transparently and put in the public domain. Government policies must be consistent with the census data, ensuring the most backward communities get their fair share in education and employment,” he added.

National BC Welfare Association president and Rajya Sabha member R. Krishnaiah hailed the Centre’s decision on the caste survey, terming it a historic decision. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, hoping the Centre would take decisions in favour of offering 50% reservations to BCs in legislative bodies, education, and jobs proportionate to their population. Mr. Krishnaiah also announced the decision to withdraw the petition filed in the Supreme Court demanding that the Centre conduct a caste census.

Former chairman of the Telangana State Backward Classes Commission, Vakulabharanam Krishna Mohan Rao has lauded the Centre’s decision on caste enumeration. He expressed deep appreciation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recognising the long-pending demand of over 75 crore Backward Class people across the country.

“This move is a step toward social justice with scientific backing. Caste data must become the foundation for sustained, equitable development, not just a political exercise,” Mr. Krishna Mohan Rao said, and urged the Union government to establish a dedicated Ministry for OBC Affairs to ensure focused and long-term attention on the empowerment of Backward Classes.