PATNA: After Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded the caste-based census to ascertain the exact population percentage each caste including Other Backward Class (OBC) community.
NCP has organised the other backward class meet in Mumbai where the resolution was passed that caste based census should be carried out by the central government. In the meeting, it was also decided without OBC reservations, the local body elections should not be done. Maha Vikas Aghadi is committed to resolve the OBC reservations issue. “This issue is not only limited to Maharashtra, but across the Indian. We need to work to make awareness among the society and OBC community,” NCP chief said.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that it is the constitutional right of the OBC to get the reservations but central government is depriving them from their legitimate and constitutional rights. He said they will fight for caste-based census. “Let’s ascertain the exact population of the each community including OBC by carrying out the caste-based census. As per the each community population, the reservations should be given to them. The scheduled caste and scheduled tribe after getting the reservations, they socially and economically progressed. The same benefits should be given to OBC. The OBC are not asking and demanding much, but it is given and protected in the constitution,” Pawar said.
NCP chief said that BJP is against giving reservations to OBC. “BJP was in power in state and central in last five years. What did they do for OBC reservations? They could not give political reservation to OBC. Now, they are blaming to Maha Vikas Aghadi. The social reformer Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr BR Ambedkar etc worked hard to give justice to oppressed class. Shahu Maharaj gave 50 per cent reservations to backward class. That time also many people opposed the reservations to backward class but he did not listen to them. Even today, we are facing the same problem,” Pawar said.
He added Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is formed government with the help of the BJP in Bihar still he demanded caste-based census. “I feel that as long as BJP led government is in central, they will not give reservations to OBC. The reason the mentality of the people who in power in central is not in favour of reservations. RSS mother organisation of the BJP is against the reservations,” Pawar said.
NCP minister and OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal said that the OBC reservations is not a political but the social issue. He said why BJP affiliated people went to Supreme Court against the OBC reservations? “Prime minister Narendra Modi calls himself OBC, but his government refused to give the empirical data for the OBC reservations. It shows the mentally of the BJP leadership. They are against OBC and it’s reservations,” Bhujbal said.