"This was our demand. We pressurised them," says SP leader Abu Azmi on the caste census

Thane (Maharashtra) [India], May 3 (ANI): Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi welcomed the Centre's decision to include caste-based data in the national census, calling it the fulfilment of a long-standing demand.
While speaking to the media on Saturday, Azmi said, "This was our demand and it has been fulfilled. We pressurised them. Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav demanded it. There should be no discrepancy in this."
Earlier on Thursday, Azmi credited SP leader Akhilesh Yadav and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi for continuously arguing for a caste census. He urged the central government to conduct the census with "honesty."
"Due to the efforts of our leader, Akhilesh Yadav, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the government has accepted this. The census should start as soon as possible. But there should be no wrongdoings, and the correct stats shouldn't come forth. This should be conducted with complete honesty... If there is equal behaviour with every person in the country, I will believe the caste census was successful," Azmi told ANI.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also said they (Samajwadi Party) are very happy that a step has been taken towards establishing social justice.
"The government has just made a decision. We are happy that a step has been taken towards establishing social justice. The decision of the caste census is a 100 per cent victory for 90 per cent of the PDA people. Due to the combined pressure from all of us, the BJP government has been forced to take this decision. This is an important step in the victory of PDA in the fight for social justice," Yadav said.
According to Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the Census is a Union subject listed at item 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule. On Wednesday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while announcing the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, also highlighted how, while some states conducted their own caste census, he worried about their transparency or intent, claiming that some censuses were conducted "purely from a political angle."
"While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey," Vaishnaw said.
Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana have already conducted a caste census in their respective state. Telangana has also implemented a 42 pc Backward Classes reservation for people in the state. (ANI)