"Lacks mentality to ensure justice for all": BJP leader CT Ravi slams Congress over caste census

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 18 (ANI): BJP leader CT Ravi on Wednesday reiterated the party's commitment to social justice, while launching a sharp critique of the Congress over its past handling of OBC reservations and welfare.
Speaking to ANI over caste census, CT Ravi said, "BJP is committed to social justice. We support social justice and will provide it. BJP believes everyone deserves justice."
He accused the Congress of lacking both the will and commitment to deliver on promises of equity.
"Congress lacks the mentality to ensure justice for all. The willpower within Congress is weak, and the commitment is weak. Within Congress, they blame others for everything," he said.
Ravi claimed, "The political landscape began to shift only after the Congress lost its dominance, opening up space for fresh thinking and the advancement of OBC rights. It was then that OBCs began to receive justice as part of the welfare of the weaker sections. As long as Congress remained strong, it did not provide reservations to the OBCs."
Earlier on Tuesday, Congress leader Sachin Pilot questioned the intention of the BJP-led Union government over the caste census, accusing the Centre of delaying the exercise earlier by citing COVID-19 as an excuse.
On the caste census, Congress leader Sachin Pilot told reporters, "BJP and PM Modi had earlier said that the demand for a caste census is being raised by 'Urban Naxals', and they even mentioned in parliament in writing that they do not want to conduct it. After pressure from the opposition, they suddenly accepted our demand. But the notification now says the census will be conducted in 2027."
"Earlier, they delayed it using COVID-19 as an excuse, and even now, we doubt their intention to fulfil this promise. Around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore is usually spent on the census, but this government has allocated only Rs 570 crore in the budget," he said.
He stated that the caste census ensures that the government schemes' benefits reach every beneficiary.
"The caste census is not just to know a person's caste -- it is to ensure that government schemes are reaching the people, to check whether they are benefiting from them, and to understand the employment rate," he added.
The notification to conduct the Census was published in the official Gazette on Monday, following a high-level meeting held in Delhi, where the Union Home Minister reviewed the plan along with the Union Home Secretary, Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RG&CCI), and other senior officials.
The Population Census 2027 will begin with a reference date of March 1, 2027, for most parts of the country. The reference date for snow-bound and non-synchronous areas such as Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be October 1, 2026. (ANI)