Asaduddin Owaisi backs caste-based census, sub-categorisation of OBCs

Hyderabad: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday favoured the caste-based census and favoured sub-categorisation of backward classes.

Speaking to media personnel here said: “The caste-based census will prove beneficial for the people, especially those belonging to the backward castes. Every political party wants caste-based census.”

Earlier today, a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the delegation of 10 parties led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to discuss a caste-based census was held in Delhi.

“The population of a particular caste should be known so as to prepare policies for their upliftment and empowerment. The sub-categorisation of OBCs is also important,” Owaisi said.

While addressing the media, the AIMIM chief said that he wants that his party should be invited to the all-party meeting called by External Affairs Ministry to brief floor leaders on the Afghanistan crisis.

“I hope that the Prime Minister will invite AIMIM to the all-party meeting which is to be briefed by the Foreign Minister over Afghanistan. We want to know the government’s policies over Afghanistan.”

Earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had instructed the foreign ministry to brief floor leaders of political parties.

Sharing that post, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi gave details of the meeting on Thursday and said in a tweet: “Invites are being sent through email.”

An hour after Patel’s post, Owaisi, responded: “Sir I hope AIMIM will also be invited.”

On the use of drones for policing and surveillance, the Hyderabad MP said, “Such drone use violates the fundamental right to privacy protected by the Constitution and recognised by the Supreme Court in Puttaswamy judgement.”

He also demanded a data protection law and privacy protection law.

Reacting to renaming the road leading to the Ram Janmabhoomi temple complex in Ayodhya after late former UP Chief Minister Kalyan Singh, the AIMIM chief said that the Uttar Pradesh government should focus on delivering governance in the state rather than changing names of places.

“Do renaming Allahabad as Prayagraj changed the fact that bodies were floating in Ganga River during the second wave of COVID-19 or it gave employment to the people in the state?

Taking a dig at Yogi Adityanath government, he said,” One can find The names of 37 lakh unemployed youth of Uttar Pradesh on the unemployment portal but the government is busy in changing the names of the places”.