New Delhi, August 11

The Congress Wednesday asked the government why was it “quiet” and “running away” from a caste-based census, which was mooted by a woman MP of the ruling BJP in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday and even by the chief ministers of Bihar and Odisha.

A caste-based census is required to assess the exact ground situation because in at least 30 states and Union territories, the reservation for backward classes has crossed the upper limit, the Opposition party said.

Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha while initiating a debate on the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, that seeks to restore the power of states to identify and specify the Socially and Economically Backward Classes (SEBCs), which was lost after the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Maratha quota case.

Asserting that there is a demand for a caste-based census from all quarters, Singhvi said the exercise is needed because the quota for backward classes has exceeded the determined limits in many state.

In 30 states and Union territories, it is more than 50 per cent, he said, while referring to Nagaland and Chhattisgarh in particular.

Similarly, while there is a 17-per cent quota for the backward classes in jobs, in reality, their percentage is higher, the Congress leader said.

“This brings us to an important issue—a caste census. Why are you running away from a caste census? Your chief minister in Bihar, another chief minister in Odisha and your woman MP said you are going to do this. Why is the government keeping quiet today?” he asked.

Singhvi also asked why the government is not saying if it would bring a caste census or not.  “The reason why the government is quiet is that the reservation might increase from 22 per cent to 35 per cent,” he said.

He also said the Congress-led UPA government had brought a caste census in 2011 but it had gaps. “There were gaps, I accept that. But we tried,” he said.

Speaking about the Constitution (127th Amendment) Bill, 2021, the Congress leader said it is important because 671 castes would have lost reservation if the amendments were not made.

He said the government had several opportunities to rectify the law brought in 2018, adding, “Due to arrogance and adamancy, you did not do it.”      

Singhvi said even a Parliamentary Select Committee had suggested the amendments to the government to bring more clarity but it was ignored and thereafter, the apex court interpreted it wrongly.

“You committed a mistake, even the apex court committed a big mistake. The court ignored the intent of Parliament,” he said.

The Congress leader said the government should incorporate one more line in the amendment bill that it will be effective from 2018.

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda supported the bill but sought clarity on the implementation of cap in the reservation. 

TMC leader Derek O’Brien supported the Bill and appealed that the Prime Minister should be present in the House during the discussion on the Bill.

He demanded that the House should also discuss the Pegasus snooping row.

The TMC leader also questioned the track record of the government on passing legislations.

He alleged “incompetence” on the part of the government for poor legislation.

O’Brien said several changes have been made in GST law and alleged that the government did not listen to the opposition on farm laws.

“Don’t be in haste. Take our suggestions. Else what happened in West Bengal (assembly election), will happen in the country,” he said.

The TMC leader said that his party has studied 98 bills passed by this government and 29 were anti-federal. He also mentioned that the Centre has not given states Rs 6.9 lakh crore.

O’Brien also demanded a caste based census.  “Why no caste based census. It’s an obvious question,” he said.

Tiruchi Shiva of DMK said the government has brought this amendment bill only out of compulsion.

“In all these years of this government rule, this is the first ever time they have mentioned with a view to maintain the federal structure of this country,” he said.

“You do everything out of compulsion, not with an intention of upholding the rights of the states or union territories because federalism is not a suitable word to you. You always  concentrate on one language, one nation, one religion, everything one, one, one...,” Shiva said. 

The DMK leader urged the government to “kindly look into the lifting of the 50 per cent cap on providing reservation. That is very very important.”If the states have to provide duly share of the respective OBC communities in the state, the caste wise census has to be conducted, he said, and asked the government to consider this.

“Census should be immediately conducted. You have to concentrate on lifting the  50 per cent cap. But for the reservation, the socially and educationally suppressed classes would not have come up,” he added.

Banda Prakash of TRS supported the bill but demanded that the 50 per cent cap on reservation should be lifted and the government should conduct a caste based census for OBC. He also sought “political reservation” in legislature and Parliament.

A Navaneethakrishnan of AIADMK also supported the bill that seeks to strengthen federal structure of the country.

P V Abdul Wahab (IUML), K Raveendra Kumar  (TDP), Balwinder Singh Bhunder (SAD), Ramji (BSP), Jaiprakash Nishad (BJP), Ramdas Athawale (RPI) and Sambhajiraje Chhatrapati (BJP) also participated in the discussion. PTI