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BIG STORY AUGUST 09, 2024 | The Indian Eye 5

sition leaders who had made deroga-
tory remarks about the BJP’s elec-
tion symbol, the lotus. “The lotus
is not just our election symbol but
also represents Goddess Lakshmi,
our national flower, and the medita-
tive posture of Padmasana,” Thakur
stated. He accused the opposition of
insulting revered figures like Lord
Shiva, Buddha, and Lokmanya Tilak
by disparaging the lotus.
Meanwhile, RJD leader Manoj
Jha criticized PM Modi for applaud-
ing Thakur’s speech in the Lower
House and posted on X, “Prime
Minister has proved by his long
tweets in praise of the former min-
ister who used to say ‘shoot them/
abuse them’ how regressive and me-
dieval his views are about today’s
most burning issue of social justice,
i.e., caste census. Sir! History takes
note of everything!”
Congress President Mallikar-
jun Kharge attacked the BJP over
the ‘caste census’ and said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi poses for a group picture with Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda, Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
BJP-RSS wants to snatch away res- Chief Ministers and Deputy CMs, at the party Headquarters, in New Delhi on Sunday (ANI)
ervations of backward classes under
conspiratorial pretexts. the Census that was last due in 2021. ask them why they are not doing it in “It is bad news for the deprived
“Yes, I am an Indian and a Dal- This will prevent us from having Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Pun- sections of the society...We demand
it, but I don’t know how many of us an up-to-date estimate of the pop- jab and West Bengal. In Karnataka, that reservation should be included
are. Yes, I am tribal, but I don’t know ulation of the country, especially they have already done the caste in the ninth schedule of the Consti-
how many we are. Yes, I am OBC, of scheduled castes and scheduled survey but still, they are not disclos- tution so that every matter related to
but I don’t know how many we are. tribes. It also means that at least 12 ing the data. Karnataka Dy CM has reservation could be exempted from
Today we all need to assess what crores of our citizens are denied the threatened that if you disclose the the judicial review...JD(U) is in fa-
our contribution is to the progress benefit of the National Food Securi- data then what will be the conse- vor of conducting caste census in the
of this country. BJP-RSS people are ty Act of 2013 - now repackaged as quences,” Trivedi said. country,” Tyagi said.
conspiring to hide this from us so PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana,” as Earlier on Monday, JD(U) lead- Congress leader Jairam Ramesh
that they can keep us backward and per a statement issued by the All-In- er KC Tyagi demanded that reserva- said that Modi government has failed
usurp our rights by snatching away dia Congress Committee. tion should be included in the ninth to conduct Census and Finance Min-
reservations under conspiratorial But launching scathing attacks schedule of the Constitution and said ister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget
pretexts,” Kharge posted on X. on the INDIA bloc, BJP MP Sud- the party is in favor of caste census. speech did not mention funds for
“BJP-RSS believes in ‘Manusm- hanshu Trivedi said that they should He made the remarks after the decadal Population Census which
riti’ and not even an iota in the Con- conduct a caste census in the states Supreme Court refused to stay Patna was supposed to take place in 2021.
stitution of Baba Saheb Dr. Ambed- where they are in power. High Court order that set aside the “It is highly disappointing that
kar. They want to continue the “They (INDIA alliance) should state government’s amendments to the Finance Minister’s announce-
5,000-year-old social exploitation in conduct a caste census in the states increase quota in the state for some ment on Data and Statistics makes
this country,” he added. where they are in power. I want to sections. no mention of releasing funds for
Meanwhile, Congress Parlia- the decadal Population Census that
mentary Party (CPP) Chairperson was supposed to have taken place in
Sonia Gandhi criticized the Modi 2021, but has still not been conduct-
government on Wednesday claiming ed,” Jairam Ramesh said.
that it has no intention to conduct Telangana Chief Minister Re-
the Census, which has been overdue vanth Reddy on July 15 ordered the
since 2021. officials to prepare an action plan to
She added that the failure to increase the BC (Backward Classes)
conduct the census will not only quota in the upcoming local body
prevent an accurate estimate of the Panchayat elections.
country’s population but also deny The Chief Minister held a re-
over 12 crore citizens, particularly view of the proposal to enhance the
from scheduled castes and tribes, BC quota in the local body elections
benefits under the National Food at the Secretariat.
Security Act. The caste census issue is now at
While speaking at the Congress the center of Congress party’s strat-
Parliamentary Party meeting held egy to push back against the aggres-
at in the national capital Sonia said, BJP MP Anurag Thakur speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon Session of Parliament, in sion by the BJP leaders. The strategy
“It is clear that the Government has New Delhi on Tuesday (ANI Photo/Sansad TV) seems to be working at the moment
no intention whatsoever to conduct as it has rattled the ruling alliance.

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