Caste Census U-Turn BJP’s Big Shift Ahead of 2024?

shibnathkhan

In a dramatic political reversal, the BJP-led central government has announced a caste-based census—despite years of opposing it. This major shift aligns with long-standing demands from the Congress and the INDIA alliance, who have pushed for caste enumeration under the slogan "jitni abaadi, utna haq" (rights in proportion to population). Prime Minister Modi's government, once critical of the idea, now claims the data will drive inclusive development—not caste division. With elections looming, analysts say this move is a strategic effort to win back OBC and backward caste support. Opposition parties, while welcoming the move, are calling for transparency and timely release of the data. Will this political U-turn reshape India’s social justice framework—or is it just another vote-bank ploy? Watch the full analysis with Shibnath, only on Democratic News TV.   KEY WORDS: Caste Census India BJP caste reversal Modi caste-based census Congress caste census demand OBC rights India caste politics 2024 election strategy Caste-based reservation India backward caste data Rahul Gandhi jitni abaadi INDIA bloc caste pitch Amit Shah caste census SECC 2024 Social justice in India Caste-based development Reservation policy Electoral caste strategy Caste in Indian politics Bihar caste survey Democratic News TV debate    HASH YAGS:  #CasteCensus #ModiGovt #BJPPolitics #RahulGandhi #JitniAbaadiUtnaHaq #OBCRights #INDIAAlliance #SocialJustice #2024Elections #CastePolitics #ReservationDebate #BackwardClasses #IndianDemocracy #DemocraticNewsTV #ShibnathReports

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00:00this channel does not promote any violent harmful or illegal activities all content

00:22provided by this channel is meant for an educational purpose only welcome to democratic news tv i'm your

00:32anchor sheebnath in a political twist that has stirred both parliament and public discourse

00:38the bjp late central government once a staunch critic of caste based enumeration has now announced

00:45its own caste census what changed what are the implications tonight we decode this dramatic

00:54shift examine the opposition's response and explore how this move could reshape the future of indian

01:00politics and gunans in a surprising and politically significant reversal the beach appeal its central

01:07government has announced that it will proceed with a caste-based census a move it had previously

01:13condemned when proposed by the congress and other opposition parties the announcement marks a

01:19watershed moment in india's socio-political landscape reigniting long-standing debates around

01:25caste equity electoral arithmetic and national identity

01:29for years the bjp had firmly opposed the congress-led demand for a nationwide caste census the party

01:45maintained that such an exercise would only serve to divide society and promote casteism leaders from

01:52the ruling alliance often accused the opposition of playing with fire by trying to inflame caste

01:58for electoral gains

02:01I don't know the truth, but he talks about it.

02:06At that time, the president of the Svartya RG1 has said that OBC is going to arrest the arrest of OBC.

02:16This is not a sudden.

02:20RG1 has said that OBC is going to arrest the arrest of OBC.

02:24Now, do you think that it is right or that it is right?

02:28And that you are wrong.

02:31BJP spokespersons routinely painted the move as regressive and accused the Congress of

02:56trying to fragment the country's social fabric. In early 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's

03:03government, without significant preamble, announced the decision to undertake a comprehensive

03:09caste-based census as part of the upcoming National Demographic Survey. This change in

03:15stance came as a shock to many, especially given the BJP's earlier reluctance to engage in what it

03:21once called caste appeasement politics.

03:27It was made in Congress. It was made in Congress. It was made in Congress. After coming to the

03:35people, there was no report to the Mandalayog. It was made in Congress. It was made in Congress.

03:43Political analysts point to several factors behind the BJP's U-turn. First, regional parties such as

04:03Nitish Kumar's JD, you, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD, and even the DMK and SP have been pushing for caste

04:11enumeration to justify proportional representation and welfare allocation. The Bihar government,

04:18in particular, conducted its own caste-based survey in 2023 and released the results publicly,

04:25prompting demands for similar action nationwide.

04:28The government had to give in to our demand. There is no doubt about that. But we've been asking them

04:34very valid questions on how would you conduct this census? Will you follow the Bihar model or

04:41will you follow the Telangana model? The Telangana model is bottom-up. It's very consultative in the

04:47process. So we need to know. I hope it's not just a cosmetic exercise which doesn't give us anything.

04:57Second, the opposition bloc, India, Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance,

05:05used the BJP's resistance to the caste census as a key narrative during state elections.

05:11.

05:26They accused the BJP of being anti-backward and ignoring the real issues of social inequality.

05:54Rahul Gandhi's repeated slogan of Jitni Abadi, Utna Hak, Proportional Rights for Proportional

06:02Population resonated with backward communities across several states.

06:07Third, internal surveys and electoral data reportedly showed that BJP's traditional

06:13upper-caste vote bang alone may not be sufficient in many battleground states in the 2024 general

06:19elections.

06:22Social survival, it seems, has forced the BJP to realign its public messaging and policy

06:27strategy.

06:29The government's official explanation for the sudden shift is wrapped in the language

06:33of inclusivity and data-driven policymaking.

06:37In a press release, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated, a caste census is not about dividing

06:43the country but ensuring that every section of society is adequately represented and benefits

06:49from the nation's development.

06:52At the same time, the BJP is treading carefully.

06:56Unlike the opposition, which seeks to use caste data as a basis for increasing reservation

07:02and realigning welfare schemes, the BJP has framed the census as a tool for better governance

07:08and targeted development.

07:10The government will not allow social division.

07:13This data will help us build a stronger, more equitable India, said a senior BJP leader, clearly signaling

07:21that while the census will happen, the usage of the data will be tightly controlled.

07:26The government will not be able to ask the state of the state of the state of the country.

07:42The government will not be able to ask the state of the country.

07:47The Congress and its allies have responded to the announcement with cautious optimism.

08:08This is our victory.

08:10The BJP mocked our demand for caste censors, but now they are forced to accept the truth,

08:16said Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh.

08:19However, opposition leaders have also expressed concern about how the data will be collected,

08:25whether it will be publicly released and whether it will be used meaningfully or buried like

08:30the socio-economic and caste census of 2011 whose full data never saw the light of day.

08:39Many opposition figures have demanded that the 2024 census must not only count castes

08:45but also publish the data before the Lok Sabha elections so that political representation

08:51and welfare schemes can be adjusted accordingly.

08:55The last time caste was officially counted in India was in the 1931 census.

09:01While the 2011 SECC collected some caste data, it was deemed unusable by the government due

09:07to technical flaws.

09:09For nearly a century, India's policies have relied on outdated caste statistics leading

09:15to demands from social justice activists for a modern, transparent and accurate enumeration.

09:23If conducted sincerely, the new caste census could be a revolutionary step toward evidence-based

09:29policymaking.

09:31It could uncover disparities in education, employment, landholding and income distribution

09:37across caste's data that is vital for efficient public policy.

09:42However, the danger lies in politicizing the data or using it selectively to appeal to specific

09:49vote banks.

09:51The real test will be in implementation, data integrity and post-census transparency.

09:58When announcing the caste census, the BJP has taken a bold yet risky political gamble.

10:04It is attempting to co-opt the opposition's core agenda, possibly to neutralize their influence

10:10among OBC, other backward classes, voters.

10:14But this move could also backfire if it appears opportunistic or fails to deliver meaningful

10:20outcomes.

10:22For now, the decision has created ripples across all political parties, with some welcoming

10:27it, others sceptical, and many recalibrating their election strategies.

10:33What's clear is that caste politics is back at the centre stage, this time armed with data,

10:39emotion and electoral ambition.

10:42You've been watching Democratic News TV with me, Sibhanath.

10:47As India prepares for another round of democratic exercise, the return of caste-based census marks

10:54a turning point in the nation's socio-political narrative.

10:58Will it lead to greater equity or depend divides?

11:02Only time will tell.

11:05Stay tuned as we continue to bring you the facts behind the politics, unfiltered, unbiased,

11:11and fearless.

11:13Until next time, take care and stay informed.

11:17Jai Hind!

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