Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of being against reservation, and asked why the Union government was not carrying out the decennial census which has been due since 2021.
Baghel was speaking at a rally in Raipur to commemorate the 78th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said that the BJP was trying to destroy the reservation system, which was put in place to ensure social justice for the marginalized sections of society.
“The BJP is against reservation. They want to destroy the reservation system,” Baghel said. “But we will not let them do that. We will fight to protect the reservation system.”
Baghel also questioned the delay in conducting the decennial census. He said that the census was important for planning and development, and that the BJP was delaying it because they were afraid of the results.
“The census was due in 2021, but the BJP government has not conducted it yet. Why are they afraid of the census? Because they know that the results will show that the population of the marginalized sections is increasing,” Baghel said.
The BJP has denied Baghel’s allegations. They say that they are committed to social justice and that they have no intention of abolishing reservation. They also say that the census has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, many observers believe that Baghel’s allegations are true. They point to the fact that the BJP has a history of opposing reservation. For example, in 2018, the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh tried to reduce the percentage of reservation for OBCs in government jobs and educational institutions.
The delay in conducting the census is also suspicious. The census is a complex operation, but it is not impossible to conduct it even during a pandemic. Many countries have conducted censuses during the pandemic, including India’s neighbors Bangladesh and Nepal.
It is possible that the BJP government is delaying the census because they are afraid of the results. The census could show that the population of the marginalized sections is increasing, and this could challenge the BJP’s political dominance.
Whatever the reason for the delay in the census, it is clear that it is harming the country. The census is important for planning and development, and without it, the government will not be able to make informed decisions about how to allocate resources.
The BJP government should immediately announce a date for the census and ensure that it is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.tunesharemore_vert