Top Opposition leaders, together with chief ministers of three states, on Monday strongly pitched for a caste census at a DMK-convened convention on social justice which additionally noticed fervent requires forging unity to tackle the BJP, setting apart egos, within the run-up to the 2024 common election.
The convention was seen by many as a present of energy by the Opposition with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Ok Stalin, Raj asthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, his Jharkhand counterpart Hemant Soren and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav becoming a member of in to lift their voice towards oppression of backward courses.
The Opposition events attacking the BJP-led authorities from one platform assumes significance because it comes at a time of renewed unity amongst them within the wake of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha after being convicted in a 2019 defamation case.
The assembly noticed a refrain from Opposition leaders demanding a caste census, with RJD chief Yadav making a powerful case for caste census, citing that the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ authorities in Bihar has already introduced a caste-based survey which has begun.
He mentioned it was a priority that when governments in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand need to present extra reservation for OBCs, the governors stalled it.
“This is done at the behest of whom, everyone knows,” Yadav mentioned.
He urged the Opposition events to return collectively setting apart their egos and mentioned one of the best ways to beat the BJP’s politics of ‘polarisation’ was by means of social justice-based politics.
Manoj Jha, additionally of the RJD, went to the extent of calling for a boycott of the census, if there isn’t any caste census. “We should give a call — no census, if no caste census,” he mentioned.
In his remarks, Gehlot pitched for social safety for all and mentioned he has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in search of social safety for households in keeping with their wants. He mentioned like-minded events ought to come ahead to push for the caste-based census and urged CMs of Opposition-ruled states to place stress on the Centre for it.
Former Union minister and senior Congress chief M Veerappa Moily asserted that the Congress was with different events within the motion for social justice.
The Opposition events got here collectively for the hybrid-mode first convention of the All India Federation for Social Justice, a brainchild of Stalin, on the theme “Taking Forward the Struggle for Social Justice and Joint National Programme for Social Justice Movement”.
Asserting that events should not shrink back from accepting that such platforms are political, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien mentioned there are nonetheless some events that don’t need to struggle the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and asserted that it’s not the time to stay within the gray, however it’s time to be both white or black.
He referred to as on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to affix efforts to tackle the present authorities.
In an obvious swipe at Modi, Jharkhand Chief Minister Soren mentioned whereas this authorities got here on the promise of “na khaunga na khane dunga (will neither indulge in corruption nor let others do it)”, it has change into a authorities of “na kuch karunga na karne dunga (will neither do any work nor let others do it)”.
He mentioned in any given establishment on this nation, backward courses had negligible presence. “If we do not take concrete steps now, then the coming generations will suffer a lot of pain,” Soren mentioned.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh additionally referred to as for a caste census and alleged that the BJP is working away from it as a result of it is ideological mentor RSS needs the ‘varna system’ to proceed.
CPI(M) common secretary Sitaram Yechury mentioned whereas reservation for the backward courses is a major step to open home windows of alternative for them, it must be accompanied by financial growth.
“Economic development cannot be restricted to a few. Over the last two years, 40.5 per cent of wealth generated has been cornered by one per cent of population. We have to fight the corporate communal nexus,” he mentioned.
CPI common secretary D Raja additionally strongly pitched for the caste census and referred to as for reservation within the non-public sector.
Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav mentioned until there isn’t any social justice, there might be no financial equality. “Everyone has the right to equal opportunities and to live with dignity. It is necessary that we come together to fight for social justice,” he mentioned.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah mentioned if a way forward for India is to be envisioned, then folks, no matter their caste, class, faith and creed, need to be taken alongside.
Some leaders, together with Nationalist Congress Party’s Chhagan Bhujbal, slammed the BJP for “wrongly” claiming that Congress chief Rahul Gandhi insulted OBCs together with his “Modi surname” comment in 2019 for which he has been convicted for prison defamation.
The events represented on the convention had been the DMK, Congress, JMM, RJD, TMC, AAP, CPI, CPI(M), Samajwadi Party, National Conference, NCP, IUML, Bharat Rashtra Samithi, MDMK, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh, Loktantra Suraksha Party, VCK, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi and Dravidar Kazhagam.
Three events which didn’t attend the convention had been Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction), YSR Congress Party and Biju Janata Dal.
