Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday slammed Congress over the national caste census, asking why did the grand old party not conduct the caste census during its government.
"Why did the Congress not conduct the national caste census in its government before the BJP came to power at the Centre, that they are talking about it now, answer? Whereas the BSP has always been in favour of it, because its conduct is very important in the interest of the weaker sections," the BSP chief posted a note on X.
"The followers of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar will never forgive Congress, which organized the Constitution Samman Ceremony in Prayagraj yesterday, for not honoring Baba Saheb, the chief architect of the Constitution, with the title of Bharat Ratna both during his lifetime and after his death," she added.
Mayawati accused Samajwadi Party and Congress of maintaining silence on the Supreme Court's decision to make sub-classification within the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes reservation and said their thinking is "anti-reservation".
"The conduct, character and face of SP, Congress and others has always been anti-reservation, which is proven by their lack of support of Bharat Bandh. Anyway, it is not clear from their statements regarding reservation whether they are in favour of the Supreme Court's decision or against it? Why is there such a confusion?," she said raising questions in a series of posts on X in Hindi.
Mayawati, in a post on X in Hindi, said that SP, Congress and others speak in support of SC/ST reservation out of interest and compulsion but are silent on the Supreme Court's decision on August 1 regarding the classification of ST/SC reservation and creamy layer.
She added that their silence shows their anti-reservation thinking and in such situation, it is important to be alert.
Mayawati claimed that now SP, Congress and other parties have seem to be united internally against reservation again, and in such a situation not only SC/SC but also Other Backward Classes (OBCs) have to fight the battle for the protection of their reservation, constitution and caste census on their own strength very wisely.
A Supreme Court seven-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, by a majority of 6:1, ruled that states can be allowed to make sub-classification in Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) to ensure that more backward castes within these groups are given reservation, on August 1.
The majority decision said that sub-classification by the states should be justified on the basis of standards and data.
A one-day nationwide strike was called by some Dalit and tribal groups on August 21 against the Supreme Court's decision regarding sub-classification of Scheduled Castes.
(With agencies inputs)
