The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Tuesday said t🐼hat it does not support 🌟the demand for a caste-based census.
RSS a🦩sserted such a move would aggravate social inequalities in the country.
Senior RSS functionaries made the organisation’s stand clear to the legislators of the ruling BJP and the Shiv Sena (Shinde group) from both the Maharashtra State Assembly and Council, who visited the RS꧙S’ Smruti Mandir complex in Nagpur on Tuesday, HT reported.
“We do not see any benefits in it, instead see harm. It is the root of inequality and it i⛦s not justified to promote it,” Shridhar Ghadge, senior RSS pracharak and chief of Vidarbha prant, was quoted as having said.
He furth♎er expressed the RSS’s read🔯iness to engage with the government if the purported benefits of a caste census are adequately explained, it added.
The report said during the visit of mini🦋sters and legislators, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary of the organisation, Dattatreya Hosabale, were not in Nagpur.
It also mentioned CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis were notably absent during Tuesday’s visit to🌜 the RSS premises.
♛Despite the NCP’s involvement in the Maharashtra government, none of its members, including de🎃puty chief minister Ajit Pawar, were part of the visit, it said.
“They ignored the BJP invitation and refrained from visiting the RSS office. Amol Mitkari, representing the NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), commented that it is within the rights of a particular party to decide whet♉her or not to visit a specific place,” the report stated.
“It is the prerogative of every party on whether to visit a particular place or not. While the NCP received an invitation from the BJP, no one from our side attended,” Mitkari was quoꦯted as having said.
He as per the report pointed out th𝔍at deputy CM Pawar has consistently asserted that he would not compromise on his s✤ecular principles since his faction joined the coalition government.
The opposition to the caste-based census from the RSS comes after Union Home Minister Amit Shah mentioned last month that the BJP was not opposed to a caste-based census in the wake of such a census conducted by thꦓe Bihar government.
