Now, Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu backs caste census: 'Nothing wrong with it'

After Ajit Pawar and Chirag Pawan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, a key BJP ally, has also supported the caste census, saying it has to be done to "honour the sentiment" of people. He said there was nothing wrong in conducting the caste census.  

"Caste census, yes, it has to be done. There is sentiment, and there is nothing wrong with it. You do a caste census, you do an economic analysis, and you go for a skill census. You work out how to build all these things and reduce economic disparities," the chief minister said in an interview with The Indian Express.  

While he backed the caste census, the chief minister emphasised that poverty is the biggest issue. He said: "Even if you belong to a weaker section and if you have money, society will respect you. If you are from an upper caste and don't have money, nobody will respect you. Wealth is a big leveller. That's where you have to find balance."  

The issue of caste census was first raised by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who got it done in Bihar. The caste census became one of the pressing issues during the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress brought the issue in its manifesto and Rahul Gandhi has been putting pressure on the Centre to conduct a nationwide caste survey. 

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Congress, saying it has been using caste for its political gain. He said the Congress does not talk about castes of Muslims because it wants to divide only Hindus. 

"The policy of Congress is to make one caste of Hindus fight against another caste. Congress knows that the more Hindus get divided, the more it will benefit. Congress wants to keep the Hindu society on fire by any means so that it can continue to make political gains out of it. Wherever elections are held in India, Congress applies this formula," he said. 
   
Not just opposition, some BJP allies have also backed the caste survey. Union Ministers and BJP allies Chirag Pawasn and Anupriya Patel have also supported the move. Earlier this year, after the Lok Sabha results were out, NCP chief Ajit Pawar also said the caste census should be done to settle the issue. He said every community claims that its numbers have increased, so the survey should be done to know who stands where.