UP Budget Session: Uproar in House over caste census

The protest began during Question Hour after Samajwadi Party MLA Sangram Yadav sought the government’s response on holding the caste census in the state as being done in neighbouring Bihar.

“The majority population of the country belongs to the backward class, and the ruling BJP claims itself to be their well-wisher. I want to ask if the state government is considering a caste census?.. How will the government frame policies and schemes for the welfare of OBCs if they do not have the data? Our neighbouring state Bihar is conducting a caste census… So, will the state Government conduct the caste census here like in Bihar to ensure justice for the backwards, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes,” the SP MLA asked.

Responding on behalf of the government, Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said: “According to Article 246 of the Indian Constitution, this (census) is the work of the Centre. The census is done by the Centre only. The central government has also enacted laws and rules for the census, according to which it comes under its jurisdiction,” he added.

Unhappy with the minister’s reply, the SP MLA pursued him for the government’s clear stand on the issues, to which Shahi said that Uttar Pradesh has gone far ahead of Bihar in terms of development and the BJP government does not want to take it backwards. “Uttar Pradesh ab bahut aage nikal chuka hai.. Hum UP ko Bihar ki tarah nahi pahunchana chahte hain (Uttar Pradesh has come a long way and we do not want to take UP in that direction)”.

“The way there is anarchy and corruption in Bihar, the dominance of ‘pariwarwaad’ (nepotism) in giving jobs. Where there was even misappropriation in procuring fodder.. We do not want to take Uttar Pradesh to that side,” Shahi said, adding the government wants to make UP ‘Uttam Pradesh’ and the best state in the country on the basis of “sabka saath sabka vikas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayaas (everyone’s support, development, faith and everyone’s efforts).

“We do not want to take UP towards those states that are victims of backwardness and narrow-mindedness,” Shahi added.

At this, Samajwadi Party MLAs, including senior leader Shivpal Singh Yadav, entered the well of the House and accused the government of being anti-OBC.

After repeated requests to SP MLAs to return to their seats, Speaker Mahana adjourned the House for 15 minutes and later extended it 20 more minutes.

Later when the House convened to discuss the Governor’s address, Leader of the Opposition and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said the entire Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh wanted caste census and demanded to know why the BJP government was shying away from it.

“Sabka sath kaise hoga jab humein pata nahi abaadi mein kitne hain (How can the government work for the welfare of all if it doesn’t know how many OBCs are there),” asked Akhilesh, adding that the demand for holding caste census was raised by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and other leaders, including Sharad Yadav and leaders from South India, during the UPA government at the Centre.

“The Samajwadi Party is in favour of holding caste census and many other parties too, but why this government is shying away from it,” Akhilesh added.