'My Party Has Always Kept Its Stand Clear': Chirag Paswan on Caste Census

New Delhi: Union Minister Chirag Paswan, who leads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), said on Sunday that he supports the idea of a caste census in India. Speaking at a press conference, he made it clear that his party has always been in favor of this move.

Chirag Paswan Clears Stance on Caste Census

“My party (the LJP) has always kept its stand clear that it is in favour of the caste census,” he mentioned.

Paswan, who is also the Minister of Food Processing Industries, explained why he believes a caste census is important. He mentioned that both the state and central governments often create programs and schemes with certain castes in mind, especially those belonging to Backward classes. 

Speaking at the conference he said, "The reason for this is that several times, both the state and the central government draft many schemes keeping the beneficiaries' caste in mind. Those schemes are prepared with the thought of connecting people from the Backwards class with the mainstream," he said.

"To make sure these schemes reach the right people, the government needs to know the population size of each caste," he added.

Paswan Opposes Lateral Entry Scheme in UPSC

Paswan also spoke out against the practice of lateral entry into government jobs, particularly into the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). He called this method of hiring "completely wrong."

Paswan's support for the caste census comes even though his party is an ally of the BJP, which has opposed the Opposition I.N.DI Alliance's demand for such a census. On the other hand, the Congress party has promised in its election manifesto to conduct a nationwide socio-economic caste census if they come to power. During a rally in April, Rahul Gandhi also mentioned that if Congress forms the government, they will conduct a survey to understand how wealth is distributed among the people in the country. and several times, the Leader of the Opposition has stated the same in the Parliament.