‘Govt had no choice…’: Sanjay Raut gives credit to Rahul for caste census, questions timing of Centre’s decision

According to Raut, Gandhi has been raising the demand for a caste census consistently for the past 10 years and hence deserves the credit for the government’s decision, especially in the eyes of the Bahujan, Dalit, and underprivileged communities.

However, Raut also expressed scepticism about the timing of the government’s decision, suggesting that it might be intended to divert public attention from the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which left 26 people dead. “The announcement came right after the attack, when the government was facing serious questions. The timing seems deliberately chosen to shift focus,” he said.

Raut further said the decision came just ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar and West Bengal—another reason, according to him, to view the move through a political lens. He also noted that the BJP had historically opposed a caste-based census, making the sudden reversal more telling.

Meanwhile, the MP of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also spoke about the possibility of an alliance between the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Sena (UBT), saying Uddhav had already clarified that he was “very positive” about the idea of reconciliation with his estranged cousin.

Raut was responding to a question about NCP founder Sharad Pawar’s recent statement that a patch-up between the Thackeray cousins would be a good thing.