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Cracks within the INDIA alliance, formed by various Opposition parties, are becoming more apparent as Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav questions the Congress-led governments’ failure to conduct a caste census during their tenure. This discord between the two parties, crucial members of the united front against the BJP in the upcoming national elections, has come to the forefront.
Speaking in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, which is gearing up for elections, Yadav criticized the Congress, taunting Rahul Gandhi over his “X-ray” analogy for the caste census. Yadav suggested that the demand for a caste census is a “miracle” coming from the Congress, the same party that hindered the process after Independence.
#WATCH | Satna, Madhya Pradesh: On Rahul Gandhi's statement, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav says, "…Congress is the party which did not conduct caste census after independence… When all the parties in the Lok Sabha were demanding a caste census, they did not conduct a caste census.… pic.twitter.com/aYEaUU9SwT
— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2023
Mocking Gandhi’s X-ray reference, Yadav remarked, “X-ray was the need of that time. Now we have MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and CT (computed tomography) scan. The disease has now spread. If this problem was solved back then, such a gap wouldn’t have existed in society today.”
Yadav accused the Congress of not implementing a caste census after Independence, pointing out that when leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav, and Lalu Prasad Yadav raised the demand in the Lok Sabha, the Congress refused to act. He suggested that the Congress’s current interest in a caste census is due to the realization that its traditional vote bank is eroding.
This criticism follows previous statements by Yadav, claiming that the Congress does not want to ally with the Samajwadi Party, and accusing the party of not implementing the Mandal Commission recommendations. Despite the apparent strain, Yadav affirmed that his party remains part of the INDIA alliance.
The caste census has become a significant political issue, with the Opposition intensifying its demands ahead of the upcoming general elections. Even the BJP, which previously opposed a national caste census, has hinted at a potential shift in its stance. The Bihar government recently tabled the full report of its state-wide caste survey, further highlighting the political importance of the caste census discourse.
