Athawale Advocates Caste Census Amid Assembly Election Forecasts

Union minister Ramdas Athawale supports a caste census in India, emphasizing its importance for accurate population data. Addressing NEET concerns and Maharashtra elections, he critiques Rahul Gandhi for past inactions and asserts BJP-led NDA's confidence in winning significant assembly seats.

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has thrown his support behind a caste-based census in India, arguing that it would provide crucial insights into the demographic composition of the country. Speaking to the press in Indore, Athawale queried whether Article 17 of the Constitution, which outlaws casteism, poses barriers to conducting such a census.

"My party demands that a solution be found because a caste-based census will reveal the percentage of each caste within the population," said Athawale, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment. He added that his party would not oppose extending reservation benefits to all castes based on their population, citing widespread poverty.

Taking aim at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Athawale questioned why the Congress government did not initiate a caste census during its tenure. He also addressed criticisms about the NEET examination, assuring that the Education Ministry is working to prevent malpractices in future exams.

Athawale further predicted that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would secure between 170 and 180 seats in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections scheduled for October. "The issue of development, not the Constitution, will dominate the Maharashtra elections," he asserted, pledging to rectify mistakes from the Lok Sabha elections.

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