Allies, oppositions urges Tamil Nadu govt to conduct caste survey
Ministers S S Sivasankar and Siva V Meyyanathan categorically stated that it was the duty of the Union government to conduct the census, but it had been shirking its responsibility
Tamil Nadu Secretariat
CHENNAI: The State Assembly witnessed yet another round of debate over the caste census and survey, with an emphasis on upholding social justice and TN’s 69% reservation.
Ministers S S Sivasankar and Siva V Meyyanathan categorically stated that it was the duty of the Union government to conduct the census, but it had been shirking its responsibility. They also appealed to the BJP’s allies to raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha.
PMK leader GK Mani, while participating in the debate on the State budget, asserted that TN has been the cradle of social justice since the days of the Justice Party. Subsequent governments in the State have upheld it. He argued that without caste data, it would be difficult to achieve social justice.
He also pointed to the neighbouring Telangana and Karnataka governments’ efforts in carrying out caste surveys. He clarified that there was no legal hurdle for the TN government to carry out a similar exercise. He highlighted a pending case before the Supreme Court, expressing concern that the state’s 69% reservation was at risk. Tamilaga Vazhvurimai Kazhagam T Velmurugan also demanded a caste survey
In response, Minister Meyyanathan stated that the case concerns the inclusion of the 69% reservation in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution and has nothing to do with the percentage of reservation itself. He also referred to TN government’s efforts to pressure the Union government and pointed out that Chief Minister M K Stalin had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter after the state assembly passed a resolution.
Minister Sivasankar, joining the debate, reiterated that it was the Union government’s duty to conduct the census and, but it had been shirking its responsibility. Congress floor leader Selvaperunthagai noted that the BJP-led Union government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court against the Congress governments in Karnataka and Telangana, blocking them from carrying out a caste census, restricting the states in their exercises to conduct caste surveys.
VCK legislator J Mohammed Shanavas asserted that TN’s 69% reservation faced no threat, as the Union government had introduced a 10% reservation for the economically weaker sections (EWS) in addition to the existing 50% reservation, which had been approved by the Supreme Court. Therefore, there were no legal obstacles to the reservation orders proposed by former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi. Deputy Leader of Opposition RB Udhayakumar intervened, asserting contributions of ex-CMs MGR and Jayalalithaa.
