NEW DELHI: Various bodies claiming to represent the backward sections of Muslims demanded on Thursday that any caste census should include Muslims and claimed that the community like Hindus is also divided along different castes and sub-castes.
Former MP and All India Pasmanda Muslim Mahaz president Ali Anwar supported the demand made by a number of political parties for caste census and said any such counting should include all religions.
"Like the Hindu community, Muslims are not a monolith social group and are divided among different castes and sub-castes," he said at a event held here.
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Anwar, who was sacked from the JD(U) in 2017 for his opposition to the party joining hands with the BJP, alleged that the BJP-led government is trying to make Muslims "second class citizens" and also criticised the so called secular parties for ignoring the concerns of the backward sections of Muslims.
A booklet was released on the occasion that also demanded that Scheduled Castes benefits should be extended to "dalit" sections of Muslims and Christians.
Anwar said the reports of the Ranganath Misra commission and the Sachar committee had made recommendations on these lines A number of political parties have pitched for caste census, saying it is necessary to effectively implement welfare schemes for the backward sections of society and identify the extent of their backwardness.
Anwar said any caste census should include all communities and religions.