What's PM's, UP CM's response on caste survey, asks Akhilesh Yadav

NOIDA: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday sought to know what is the stand of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on caste survey in the state.

The former UP chief minister spoke about the issue during a visit to Noida, a day after Samajwadi Party MLAs disrupted the proceedings of the state assembly following their demand of conducting a caste survey in the state on the lines of Bihar being rejected by the government. Responding to the Opposition demand, the Yogi Adityanath-led government replied in negative, asserting that carrying out the census was the Centre's jurisdiction.

''The BJP is a very smart party. The BJP is putting forward its leaders to whom it has given nothing. What is the response of the prime minister and the chief minister (of UP) on caste survey, that is the major question. It's not a question which can be responded to by small leaders, it's about policy,'' Yadav told reporters on sidelines of a party event here. He recalled that when the UPA was in power at the Centre, leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sharad Yadav, Laloo Prasad Yadav and several from south India had approached the Congress for caste survey. ''It's a different matter that the Congress had first denied the demand. It had agreed to the demand later but not made the statistics public,'' Yadav said. The Samajwadi Party chief alleged that those running away from caste survey are the same people who are in favour of ''outsourcing and privatisation''. Pitching further, Yadav said a lot of aware people from different walks of society have come forward in support of caste survey, noting that making policies, rolling out schemes, initiatives and facilities to public is not possible without it.

''If the BJP truly believes in its Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas Sabka Vishwas slogan, then it will have to assure all communities that they will be connected with all schemes,'' he said.

Census is about to be conducted and it is the responsibility of the BJP to make sure that caste survey is also done, the former CM said, adding his party has said whenever it will get a chance, it will ensure it's done.