Tejashwi Yadav Hails Caste Census Move, Demands Seat Quotas for OBCs
Patna – Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday celebrated the Union Cabinet’s decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming national census. Calling it a “historic milestone,” he burst crackers with RJD workers and praised the move as a step forward in a decades-old demand for caste data collection.
From Caste Census to Political Representation
Speaking to reporters, Tejashwi said the real struggle begins now. “This is a victory, but not the final one,” he declared. “Our next goal is to secure reservation in Parliament and state assemblies for the backward and extremely backward classes (EBCs). Just like Dalits and Adivasis, these groups also deserve political representation.”
Data Must Drive Budgets and Policies
Tejashwi stressed that the census should not be reduced to just numbers. He said the real impact of the caste census will come when the data guides welfare policies and budget allocations.
“We don’t want just reports. We want reforms,” he said.
‘An Ideological Win for Lalu Yadav’
The RJD leader credited this development to the long-standing efforts of Lalu Prasad Yadav and socialist thinkers. He argued that the BJP is only implementing ideas the socialist movement has always championed.
“They’re fulfilling what we demanded for years,” Tejashwi said. “But we must now move from symbolism to systemic change.”
‘BJP Trying to Take Credit’
Tejashwi expressed skepticism about the Centre’s timing. He suggested the move could be politically motivated, especially with elections nearing.
“Let’s not forget—PM Modi rejected our demand several times. We didn’t give up. Now they’re acting under pressure,” he claimed.
Tracing the Caste Census Journey
Tejashwi recalled how the movement gained ground.
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On July 26, 2015, Lalu Yadav led a protest march to Raj Bhavan.
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In August 2021, Tejashwi proposed an all-party delegation to the Prime Minister.
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When the Centre refused, the Bihar government conducted its own caste survey, completed on October 2, 2023.
Linking Census to Delimitation
In closing, Tejashwi said the caste census should be finished before the next delimitation exercise. Only then can India redraw political boundaries that reflect its true social structure.
“Representation must reflect reality,” he added.
