“It will promote social justice,” says UP Minister Anil Rajbhar after MHA notification on census

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) [India] June 16 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Minister Anil Rajbhar on Monday called the Union government’s decision to conduct a caste census with a general census a “historic decision,” adding that it will promote social justice.
Anil Rajbhar’s remarks came after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification, announcing that the 16th census will be carried out in snow-bound non-synchronous areas of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand from October 2026 and the rest of the country from March 2027.
“This is a historic decision made under the leadership of PM Modi. It will promote social justice. The opposition and the people know it very well that this decision has been in regard to the resolution of ‘Sabka sath, sabka vikas’,” Anil Rajbhar said.
Rajbhar also questioned Congress for not conducting a caste census during their rule.
“Till now caste census has not happened…If the opposition had ever intended to promote social justice, then the Congress government was in power for a long time,” Rajbhar said.
Earlier in the day, Congress General Secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over “no mention” of caste census in the gazette notification for the population census by the Ministry of Home Affairs, asking, “Has the Prime Minister changed his mind?”
Jairam Ramesh also questioned the Union government over the budget allocation for the census, mentioning that it does not match the required amount.
“Today’s gazette notification says only census will be done in late October of 2026 in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal and the rest of the country it will be done in March 2027. It does not talk of the word caste census. So my question is, has the Prime Minister changed his mind again? Why is there no mention of the caste census?” the senior Congress leader said while speaking to ANI.
“The budget allocation will take atleast Rs 9000 crore to Rs 10,000 crores by the government’s own admission to carry out a normal census. The total allocation for the census commissioner this year, 2025-26, is only Rs 575 crore, so where is the additional money?” he added.
Jairam Ramesh also accused PM Modi of opposing the caste census in the past and terming those demanding it as “urban naxals.”
“The Prime Minister has consistently opposed the caste census. On 28 April 2024, he called all those wanting a caste census. Urban naxals. They filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court on 21st September 2021 saying that we are against a caste census and we have no intention of carrying out a caste census,” he said.
On April 30, Union Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw announced that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs has decided to include caste enumeration in the general census.
The INDIA bloc, which had been constantly demanding the caste census, welcomed the decision, pressing that it should be conducted in a “transparent and unbiased” manner. (ANI)

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