NEW DELHI, 5 May: The Congress on Monday reiterated its demand for the government to announce a timeline and roadmap for the caste survey, remove the 50 percent cap on reservation, and implement Article 15(5) of the Constitution for reservation in private educational institutions.
The chiefs of the opposition party’s SC and OBC departments and the Adivasi Congress made the assertions at a press conference at the Congress’ 24, Akbar Road, office.
AICC OBC department chairman Anil Jaihind said when Manmohan Singh was the prime minister and Arjun Singh the education minister, the 93rd amendment of the Constitution was passed and Article 15(5) added to it.
“It provided reservation in educational institutions for Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. At that time, this reservation was implemented in government institutions but people of private institutions took it to the court, where the case continued. In January 2014, it was decided that the government could provide reservation to Dalits, tribals and socially and educationally backward classes in private educational institutions,” he said.
“Then, general elections were held and a new government came into existence. For the past 11 years, there is a provision in the Constitution that reservation can be given to Dalits, tribals and backward classes in private institutions but a law needs to be made for this,” Jaihind said.
“It is unfortunate that, till date, the Modi government has not made such a law, due to which the deprived and the exploited sections of society are not getting the benefit of education,” he said.
Calling the 50 percent cap on reservation “the biggest obstacle to social justice,” AICC SC department head Rajesh Lilothia said the Congress want it to be abolished.
“Just like Rahul Gandhi and the Congress forced the government to conduct a caste census, we will also get this 50 percent limit on reservation removed,” Lilothia said.
The Centre granted 10 percent reservation to the general caste in the name of EWS (Economically Weaker Sections), which was also approved by the Supreme Court, he said and added that this made it clear that the 50 percent limit could also be crossed.
“If the BJP can do this for the general caste, then why can’t it do it for the deprived and the exploited? The Modi government has announced the caste census but our demand is that its complete timeline should be disclosed. Along with this, the entire format of the caste census should be discussed,” Lilothia said.
Rahul Gandhi has asserted that till the voice of the deprived, exploited and the oppressed is not raised in a strong manner, they cannot get social justice, Lilothia said. “Today, the BJP and Narendra Modi had to bow down before Rahul Gandhi.”
Adivasi Congress chairman Vikrant Bhuria said that the caste survey would be the “biggest decision” in history.
“When Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of caste census, BJP leaders raised questions. This shows that the BJP and Narendra Modi have never been in favour of a caste census. Earlier, Narendra Modi used to say talking about caste was a sin and part of urban Naxal thinking and that there were only four castes in the country. But now, Narendra Modi has taken a U-turn because he has realised this is a very big revolution,” Bhuria said.
“We want to know what is the roadmap of the BJP government for caste census, what is its timeline and what will be its details,” he said.
“The demand from the BJP government and Narendra Modi is that we do not want headlines on caste census, we want a timeline and deadline for caste census,” he said.
Bhuria claimed that the government took the step out of fear. “We want you to put forward the seriousness of the caste census,” he said.
The government last week announced that caste enumeration would be included in the forthcoming general census in a “transparent” manner. (PTI)