The Congress on Wednesday asked the government why it was “silent” and “running away” from the caste-based census, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday by a woman MP from the ruling BJP and even Bihar chief ministers Was. and Odisha. The opposition party said a caste-based census is needed to assess the true ground situation as reservation for backward classes has crossed the upper limit in at least 30 states and union territories.
Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha while initiating the debate in the Upper House on the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, which seeks to identify and specify the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs) in states. Tries to restore power. ), which was lost after the Supreme Court’s decision in the Maratha reservation case.
Stating that caste-based census is being demanded from all sections, Singhvi said this exercise is needed as the quota for backward classes has exceeded the prescribed limit in many states. Referring to Nagaland and Chhattisgarh in particular, he said it is more than 50 per cent in 30 states and union territories.
Similarly, while there is a 17 per cent quota for backward classes in jobs, in fact, their percentage is higher, the Congress leader said. “This brings us to an important issue – a caste census. Why are you running away from the caste census? Your chief minister in Bihar, another chief minister in Odisha and your woman MP said you are going to do this. The government is silent today. Why is it?” He asked.
Singhvi also asked why the government was not saying whether it would bring a caste census or not. “The reason for the government to remain silent is that the reservation may increase from 22 per cent to 35 per cent,” he said. Singhvi also said that the Congress-led UPA government had brought out the caste census in 2011, but there were gaps in it. There were gaps, I admit it. But we tried,” he said.
Speaking about the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Congress leader said this is important as the reservation for 671 castes would have ended if the amendments were not made.
He said the government had many opportunities to reform the law brought in in 2018, “because of arrogance and obstinacy, you didn’t.” Singhvi said that even a parliamentary select committee had suggested the amendment to bring more clarity to the government, but it was ignored and then misinterpreted by the top court.
He said, ‘You made a mistake, even the top court made a big mistake. The court ignored the intent of Parliament.” The Congress leader said that the government should include one more line in the amendment bill that it will be effective from 2018.
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