New Delhi, June 16 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday criticised the Congress party for suppressing the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) following Karnataka government's decision to scrap an earlier caste survey and conduct a fresh one, which involved a public expenditure of over Rs 165 crore.
Addressing a press conference here, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav alleged Congress has historically betrayed the OBC community by ignoring recommendations of commissions like the Kaka Kalelkar and Mandal Commissions aimed to empower the OBCs community.
"The OBC community has always been betrayed by the Congress. If the Congress had genuine intent, it would have formed a new commission after scrapping the Kaka Kalelkar Commission on empowering the OBCs ... Instead, they dismissed the commission’s report and continued to rule...
“Later, when the Mandal Commission was constituted and the Supreme Court upheld its legality, the Congress worked to weaken the OBC Commission,” Yadav said at a press conference here.
He also pointed out internal contradictions in the Congress, noting that Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the survey decision was directed by Congress leadership, not the state government, likening this to previous interventions by Sonia Gandhi-led bodies during the UPA regime.
“Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the decision for a new caste survey was not his government's but the Congress leadership's. Such an intervention of the party in the government's decision-making? Is there interference from Sonia Gandhi-headed National Advisory Council which played a key role in the UPA government. There should be an accountability about the public expenditure...,” he said.
The BJP’s criticism of the Congress over the OBC caste survey in Karnataka also comes on the same day that the central government issued a notification for the 16th Caste Census, scheduled for 2027.
Yadav credited the BJP government for initiatives benefiting OBCs, including granting constitutional status to the OBC Commission and introducing reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
He praised PM Modi’s welfare schemes for lifting millions out of poverty.
He said, "It was the BJP government that granted reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Congress has never stood with the poor, OBCs, or SC/ST communities. Congress MP & LoP Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, calls Karnataka an ideal state — but the timing and internal contradictions of their stance show that social justice is merely a showpiece for Congress, not a genuine commitment. Misleading the OBC community has been Congress’ policy; delivering justice to them has never been their intent..."
"We thank our PM for addressing the long-standing issue of reservations in admissions to central schools... Through his economic welfare schemes, crores of people have been lifted out of poverty," said the senior BJP leader.
Responding to Congress’ demand to adopt the Telangana census model for caste data, Yadav took a jab at the Opposition, remarking, “If that’s the case, then why haven’t they are not implementing the Telangana model in Karnataka, where they are in power?”
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