MP Rajib Bhattacharjee criticizes Congress and the INDIA bloc

Agartala, May 02, 2025, By Our Correspondent

Agartala: May 02: At a press conference today, Rajib Bhattacharjee, the state BJP president and Member of Parliament, addressed key national issues, focusing on the caste-based census and a recent militant attack. Bhattacharjee criticized the Congress and the INDIA bloc, alleging that they had historically used caste-based census data as a political strategy rather than a tool for social upliftment. He asserted that the Modi government’s recent decision to include caste data in the national census aims to bring genuine benefits to marginalized communities.

Bhattacharjee pointed out that post-independence, caste-related data had not been consistently recorded in national census reports. In 2010, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh acknowledged the need for such inclusion and promised to examine the issue in the Lok Sabha. A ministerial committee was subsequently formed, with many political parties backing caste-based enumeration. However, the Congress-led UPA government at the time only carried out a separate socio-economic and caste survey (SECC), not integrating it into the official census.

He further noted that some states had independently undertaken caste-based surveys, but claimed these efforts were largely politically driven, creating confusion rather than clarity. In contrast, the current central government’s decision to include caste data in the national census, he said, is rooted in a commitment to ensuring equitable development.

Bhattacharya emphasized that the Modi government’s move is meant to identify and uplift disadvantaged groups, which is crucial for India’s broader progress. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for what he described as a "historic" and inclusive step.

Addressing the recent militant attack in Pahalgam, he made it clear that the central government views the incident with utmost seriousness. He assured that the Modi-led administration strongly condemns the attack and that appropriate retaliatory measures are underway, as promised by the Prime Minister.