Mumbai, May 1 The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) on Thursday welcomed the Central government's landmark decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming national census and said that it was possible due to the INDIA bloc's persistent demands for this.
The Centre declared on Wednesday that a caste census would be conducted along with the next population census, a nationwide exercise administered at the central level. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
NCP(SP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule said, "It was possible because it was the INDIA bloc that had demanded this. Whether it was Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Amol Kolhe, or even myself -- we all raised this demand many times, both in Parliament and on the streets through protests."
"Our demand has now been fulfilled. It may have taken time, but better late than never," she said.
The announcement triggered a wave of reactions from across the political spectrum.
Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi stated that the decision was a reflection of the Opposition's consistent pressure on the Modi government to commit to social justice.
LoP Gandhi asserted that the government had finally yielded to the Congress-led Opposition's developmental agenda.
Echoing similar sentiments, the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) reiterated that the BJP-led government had conceded to their long-standing demands.
While the Opposition parties celebrated the announcement as a success of their prolonged struggle, the BJP rejected their assertions.
Amid this political back-and-forth, Sule emphasised that despite their opposition to the ruling party on many issues, the INDIA Bloc would stand with the government in its response to the Pahalgam terror attack.
"We have made a commitment to the central government, and the INDIA bloc will indeed stand firmly with the Government of India on this matter. I believe that is why, whether we speak on camera, on TV, or social media, we must do so with careful thought.
"As responsible MPs and also as party workers, our responsibility is even greater. So, in this matter, whatever decision the Government of India takes, we will fully support it with all our strength," she said.
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