The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member from Farrukhabad, Mukesh Rajput, on October 5 said that he is personally in favour of caste-based census, adding that if cows and lions could be counted, why not people based on their caste.
“I personally believe it [Caste Census] should be done; as is we are counting the number of cows, buffalo, goat and lions,” said Mr. Rajput, a second time parliamentary from the saffron party to media persons when asked on Bihar caste survey report and similar demands in U.P.
Mr. Rajput is not the first U.P. BJP leader who favoured a caste-based census after neighbouring Bihar made public the caste-wise count.
U.P. Deputy Chief Minister, and Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader, Keshav Prasad Maurya said on Wednesday that he is personally not against caste census, but added the Opposition parties in the State are using the issue as a tool for vote bank politics.
“I am personally not against the caste based census but the dreams of those who want to create a vote bank in the name of caste will continue to remain a dream,” Mr. Maurya told the media.
He added, “When these Opposition parties were in power, they neglected the Backward communities, Dalits and poor, and did nothing. Now, out from power, they are pushing for all kinds of experiments to come to power.”
Apart from the BJP, all major political parties including allies of the saffron party the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), a Rajbhar, OBC caste centric party, led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, the Nishad Party of boatmen community, led by State Minister Sanjay Nishad and Apna Dal (Sonelal), led by Union Minister Anupriya Patel, have supported the demand for a caste census in U.P.
