Mayawati reiterates demand to hold caste census of OBCs

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Monday once again demanded census/survey of OBCs in Uttar Pradesh and at the national level.

In a statement issued by the BSP, Mayawati said, "The party once again demands that census/survey of OBC (Other Backward Castes) in UP and at the national level be conducted. The anti-reservationists who deny this are the same casteist-minded people who continuously conspire to make the reservation of SC and ST categories inactive and ineffective and do not even fill the backlog of their reservation."

"Due to this reason, there is no role of the people of the 'bahujan' community in policy framing. It is necessary to change this extremely saddening and worrisome situation," she said.

"But how can the destiny of the 'bahujan' community be formed and improved by relying on casteist, communal and narrow-minded people for such a change? It is not possible to trust them anymore," the BSP chief said.

Mayawati on Monday paid tributes to party founder Kanshi Ram on his death anniversary, saying he sacrificed everything to bring the 'bahujan samaj' out of slavery and help its people become self-dependent.

She also said in view of the Lok Sabha elections, casteist and anti-reservation parties/elements, especially the BJP and the Congress, are in a race these days to project themselves as the new well-wishers of the OBC community for votes of the bahujans.

"But the struggle of Kanshi Ram ji for the interest and welfare of Dalits and tribals as well as OBCs and religious minorities, who are a special part of the 'bahujan' community, and their constitutional rights, was more than anyone else after Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar," she said.

"The BSP movement is now facing a lot of challenges from the casteist, narrow-minded, communal, capitalist and anti-poor forces. Apart from their immense wealth and misuse of resources, their tactics of 'saam', 'daam', 'dand', 'bhed' can be countered by the BSP... which was dreamt by Kanshi Ram ji," Mayawati said.

She also asked the people to make the promise "Maanyavar Shri Kanshi Ram jee, aapkaa mission adhuraa, BSP karegi pooraa' (Kanshi Ram jee, your unfulfilled mission will be fulfilled by the BSP) successful in the elections.

Earlier in a series of posts on X in Hindi, Mayawati said it was due to Kanshi Ram's struggle that the BSP came to power in Uttar Pradesh four times.