Rajasthan’s Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced that he would carry out caste surveys in the state, just like what has been done in Bihar. He said it when he was speaking to the press after a state party meeting in Jaipur.
In an interview with the media, Rajasthan chief minister claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had developed a caste census system in his Raipuran party meeting and we would implement it here. In the same way as in Bihar, the Rajasthani government is also going to carry out a census of ethnic groups. The idea that the population as a whole should participate will be taken into account. Instructions will be issued on the compilation of a caste based census within the lines of Bihar.”
“A proposal has been passed by the Akhil Bharatiya Congress Committee.” As in Bihar,” Ashok Gehlot said, “the caste census will also take place in Rajasthan. This announcement takes place only weeks before the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly elections.
Speaking to the importance of a caste census, Gehlot said, “When it comes to social security, we can’t carry out this work if we don’t know what our situation is in terms of caste.” We know which caste lives in the country and does different jobs because we know how many people they have, that’s why we can devise special schemes for them.”
In the past, Rajasthan’s CM has spoken in favor of caste surveys. An additional 6 per cent reservation was also announced in August by Ashok Gehlot for the state’s original “other backward class” OBC communities. Ashok Gehlot said that this caste survey is of fundamental importance in order for the government to come up with policies and schemes accordingly.
The Congress has supported the caste survey with a focus on other backward classes, and is increasing its demand that rights be conferred in proportion to population size. In a poll hit in Chhattisgarh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that caste surveys will be conducted on the basis of an exercise similar to one carried out in Bihar if her party retains power.
