[File photo]
Mumbai: In a call that could once again embarrass the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), Pawar scion and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, suggested caste census in the state.
Demanding the survey of different castes as done in Bihar, Ajit Pawar said it will help in getting a clearer picture of the "exact population of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Minorities and General Category (Open Category)".
"We are of the view that a caste-based census should be done in Maharashtra. With such an exercise, we will come to know the exact population of OBCs, SCs, STs, Minorities, General Category etc as benefits are given as per proportion of their population”, Ajit Pawar said while addressing a public rally in Solapur.
He also said that he and CM Shinde have the Bihar government to provide details on the caste survey.
“As the caste census has already been done in Bihar, CM Eknath Shinde and I have asked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to provide details of the exercise undertaken by his government”, he said.
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) which has an alliance in Maharashtra with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde factions of the NCP and Shiv Sena is opposed to caste census. Despite this, Ajit Pawar mooted the idea of caste census in Maharashtra.
Strangely, he also dragged Chief Minister Eknath Shinde into the matter while proposing caste survey in Maharashtra from a public platform.
This is another instance when Ajit Pawar has publicly embarrassed the BJP. Earlier, he had called for reservation in education and public sector jobs for Muslims. Like caste survey, the BJP is also opposed to what Muslim quota that it says is “reservation based on religion” and hence “unconstitutional”.
[With inputs from PTI.]
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