Bengaluru, May 1: Hon’ble Congress President, Shri Mallikarjuna Kharge said that the Nation won’t progress unless SC/ST and OBC communities move forward.
He was addressing the Poura Karmikara (Sanitation/civic workers) at Poura Karmikara Dinacharane event organised by the Government of Karnataka and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike here on Thursday.
In his inaugural speech, he said that now Congress government has regularized the service of 12,692 Poura Karmikas. I wish to extend and continue this regularization of service to other Poura Karmikas who are working in various local government bodies as well.
Speaking about the Caste Census Shri Kharge said that “During the tenure of Former PM Dr Manmohan Singh ji, we initiated a Socio-Economic Caste Census in 2010. But the BJP didn’t release that report. Rahul Gandhiji repeatedly highlighted it, and we spoke about the Caste survey in every state. We insisted on taking up the Caste Census to help the Backwards Community. In 2023, I wrote a letter to the PM, urging him to initiate a Caste Census and add it as a component in the general census format. But the Union government ignored my letter, but now they have approved the Caste Enumeration as a part of the next General Census. BJP and Modiji want to take credit for initiating this Caste Census, therefore they ignored our previous appeals”.
“If the Union Government is really willing to take up the Caste Census, they would have allocated a sufficient amount for it in the Union Budget. In Karnataka Congress government has allocated Rs 165 crore to take up the Caste Survey. But the Union government has reserved only Rs 575 crore to take up the caste census in the entire India. Is it possible to take up a survey in that amount? It is not even adequate to complete the Census in Uttar Pradesh. It is an eye-washing technique. They neither want to take up the Caste Census nor help OBC.” , he attacked the BJP.
Shri Kharge urged the Central government to fulfil three demands of the Congress. He mentioned the Caste Census as his first demand. Secondly, he urged to implementation of Article 15(5), which provides a special provision for the advancement of SC/ST/OBC communities. Lastly, he insisted that the Union government removes the present reservation cap of 50 per cent and include SC/ST/OBC and Economically Weaker Section in the revised reservation quota. “If the government ignores these demands, then people will start agitating in the streets to secure their rights’ he warned.
He recalled Dr B R Ambedkar’s contribution to the Labour law on this occasion.
Modiji is closing PSUs and gifting it to his crony friends, therefore SC/ST/OBC are getting fewer employment opportunities, Shri Kharge said on the occasion.
