Asaduddin Owaisi backs caste-census demand: '50% reservation cap should be scrapped by Modi govt'

AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday called for a nationwide caste census and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to scrap 50 per cent reservation cap. "We have asked in the Parliament to conduct a caste census, why is it not being conducted?" the Hyderabad MP said while speaking to news agency ANI. 

Owaisi said the social survey report that P Chidambaram conducted in 2010, that report should be brought before the country by the Modi government. "Why is it being kept hidden? Who is stopping the census from being conducted? The limit of 50% reservation should be breached by Narendra Modi's government. You bring the bill in the Parliament, we will all support it," he said. 

The Congress and other opposition parties have been demanding a nationwide caste-based census. Not just the opposition parties, some BJP ally like Chirag Paswan's LJP and Ajit Pawar's NCP have also backed the demand, saying it will help formulating policies for the marginalised class. 

Rahul Gandhi has made it clear that his vision is to provide reservation based on community's population."Jitni aabadi, utni hissedari (as much population, so much share) – this is the right of our OBC brothers and sisters! Release the Caste Census data now and conduct a new census on the basis of caste," Gandhi has repeatedly said. 

However, earlier this month, BJP MP from Godda Nishikant Dubey countered Rahul Gandhi, saying if the latter is determined to do caste census, he should first implement it in Karnataka. The Godda MP challenged Rahul Gandhi, asking why his government did not implement caste census in 2011. He also asked why the Congress government was not implementing a caste-based census report, which has already come out, in Karnataka. 

"If you have the strength, why hasn't the socio-economic reservation in Karnataka, where your government has been in power for the past two years, been implemented?" he asked. "It hasn't been implemented because Islam and Christianity do not talk about caste, and you want to give OBC reservations to 86 Christian castes and 56 Muslim castes through the back door." 

"Therefore, you lack the capability, and that's why you talk about the caste census. If you have the courage, if Congress and Rahul Gandhi have the courage, let them implement OBC reservation in Karnataka," Dubey said.