By TC News Desk
Agartala, 2nd May 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president and Rajya Sabha MP Rajib Bhattacharya asserted on Friday that the Modi government’s decision to include caste-based data in the national census would ensure benefits reach the most marginalized sections of society. Addressing a press conference, he alleged that previous governments, particularly the Congress and its allies in the Indi Alliance, had used caste-based surveys as a political tool.
“Since independence, caste-based information was not included in the regular census. In 2010, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh assured the Lok Sabha that the matter would be considered, and a group of ministers was formed to deliberate on it,” Bhattacharya stated. He acknowledged that various political parties had supported caste inclusion, leading to the Congress-led government conducting the Socio-Economic and Caste-Based Survey separately.
Highlighting concerns over independent caste-based surveys conducted by various states, Bhattacharya said, “Some states carried out these surveys transparently, but in many cases, they were politically motivated, causing confusion in society. To address this, the central government has now decided to officially integrate caste-based data into the national census.”
Bhattacharya expressed confidence that the move would contribute to the upliftment of backward communities. “The country progresses when its most marginalized people progress. With this decision, opportunities will reach even the last person in society,” he remarked, while extending his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for what he called a “historic decision.”
In response to the queries of media personnel, Bhattacharya also spoke on the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, assuring that the central government viewed the incident with utmost seriousness. “Prime Minister Modi’s government has strongly opposed and condemned the attack, and appropriate retaliatory action will be taken,” he stated.
