Chandigarh, Apr 30: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National General Secretary, Tarun Chugh on Wednesday described the Modi government’s decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming census as “historic, visionary and a defining moment for India’s social justice landscape”.
Addressing a state seminar under the Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samman Abhiyan at the BJP State Office in Chandigarh, he said, “This is not just about numbers, but about policy, precision and purpose. Accurate caste data will allow targeted policymaking for the most deprived sections and strengthen India’s social architecture. The Modi government is demonstrating, yet again, that it works with commitment, not slogans.”
Chugh sharply criticised the Congress party and the I.N.D.I Alliance, stating, “Those who now parade as champions of caste census never showed the will to conduct one when they were in power. From Independence till today, not a single full-scale caste enumeration was done under Congress rule. In 2010, then PM Dr. Manmohan Singh only promised ‘consideration’, and even that ended in a compromised SECC survey. It lacked intent, transparency, and seriousness.”
The BJP leader said that despite the census being a Union subject under Article 246, some state governments ran politically motivated and opaque caste surveys. These initiatives created confusion and division.
In contrast, PM Modi’s government is now integrating caste census directly into the national enumeration process — ensuring both transparency and accuracy, he said.
Highlighting the government’s consistent focus on social equity, Chugh said, “This is the same government that extended 10% EWS reservation for the economically weaker sections in the general category — without any social unrest. It’s also the Modi government that granted constitutional status to the OBC Commission — a demand long ignored by Congress.”
In his address, Chugh also took aim at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, accusing his government of betraying the ideals of Dr Ambedkar. He said, “Dalits, OBCs, and marginalized communities in Punjab are facing gross neglect under the AAP government. Scholarships have stalled, education has collapsed, and employment avenues have shrunk. The Mann government has reduced Dr. Ambedkar’s legacy to photo-ops and slogans, while ignoring his values on the ground.”
Calling Dr Ambedkar a visionary and the soul of India, Chugh reminded the gathering that Congress not only continuously sidelined Babasaheb during his lifetime but also tried to prevent him from entering the Constituent Assembly. “Even the conferment of the Bharat Ratna was delayed by 40 years — a recognition that came only when Congress was out of power and a BJP-supported government was in place,” he said.
He credited Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government for placing Dr Ambedkar’s portrait in the Parliament gallery, and hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for developing the Panch Teerth — five commemorative sites that honour Ambedkar’s life and legacy. “The very Congress that refused to give him space during his lifetime is today politicising his name for electoral gains,” he said.
Taking direct aim at Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders of the I.N.D.I Alliance, Chugh remarked, “The same leaders who keep losing elections are now preaching constitutional values, while their predecessors systematically opposed reservation, suppressed OBC rights, and consistently undermined Dr Ambedkar’s ideas.”
