Anticipation builds for commencement of caste survey in UP, says Mayawati

BSP leader Mayawati emphasized that the attention has turned towards the commencement date of the caste survey in Uttar Pradesh.

Lucknow: After Patna High Court upheld the caste survey in Bihar as “perfectly valid” and “initiated with due competence”, BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday said all eyes are now on when Uttar Pradesh will begin the process.

In a shot in the arm for the Bihar government, Patna High Court on August 1 rejected a bunch of petitions challenging the survey, ordered in 2022 and begun earlier this year.

---

Mayawati spoke in detail on the issue in a series of posts on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“After Patna High Court completely legalised the caste census being conducted by the Bihar government to make a proper assessment of the economic, educational and social condition of the OBC (Other Backward Classes) society and prepare a development plan accordingly, everyone’s eyes are now fixed on when this important process will start in Uttar Pradesh.” In another post, she said, “After caste census in many states of the country, the demand for conducting it in Uttar Pradesh is also gaining momentum. But the present BJP government does not seem ready for it. This is very worrying.” She added that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) wants the Centre should also conduct a caste survey at the national level.

The BSP president said, “The issue of caste census in the country is not an important matter of politics but social justice, like the implementation of the recommendation of the Mandal Commission. Such an assessment is necessary to bring the poor, weak, neglected and exploited people of the society into the mainstream by making them partners in the development of the country.”

In its August 1 verdict on the caste survey in Bihar, the Patna High Court bench said, “We find the action of the state to be perfectly valid, initiated with due competence, with the legitimate aim of providing development with justice.” The high court judgment was challenged in the Supreme Court.

On Monday, the top court refused to stay the order, giving the go-ahead for the caste survey in Bihar and deferred the hearing on petitions challenging it to August 14.