Aurangabad, Oct 26:
Caste wise census is a mandatory process as per the constitutional provision, said Dr Shashikant Pattekar in a seminar held at the central office of Phule-Ambedkar study group recently. The topic was on 'Caste wise census and current socio-political situation'.
Dr Pattekar said various high courts, including the Supreme Court, have directed the government in its decisions to conduct a caste wise census. The BJP, which opposes the OBC reservation recommended by the Mandal Commission, also stood for the caste wise census under Gopinath Munde when he was alive. The then BJP home minister Rajnath Singh had promised in 2018, a few months before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, that the BJP government would conduct a caste wise census in 2021.
However, after coming to power in 2019, the BJP reversed its stance and showed its anti-OBC policy. Emphasising the need for a non-political movement for a caste census, Dr Pattekar said we cannot rely on so-called OBC politicians. Because these political leaders are representatives of their respective political parties instead of OBCs. Former Mayor Bapu Ghadmode, former corporator Kirti Shinde, adv Mahadev Andhale and Sandeep Ghodke expressed their views. Arvind Khairnar, Bhaskar Kole and others were present.