BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan welcomed the Union Government’s decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming national census, while launching a scathing attack on the DMK government in Tamil Nadu for allegedly failing to address growing caste-based discrimination in the state.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Soundararajan said,
“We thank our Prime Minister for announcing the caste census; because of the pandemic, only it was postponed… I’m happy that all the opposition parties are welcoming it.”
However, she quickly turned her focus to the ruling party in Tamil Nadu, accusing Chief Minister MK Stalin of hypocrisy.
“Stalin continuously blames, and they thought they were the only custodians of social justice. However, casteism is more prevalent in Tamil Nadu. Discrimination is more in Tamil Nadu now; even discrimination at the school level is more in Tamil Nadu now. The schoolchildren assaulted each other, telling about their caste,” she alleged.
The remarks came hours after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include caste enumeration as part of the upcoming census — a move being hailed as historic by the BJP.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, during a media briefing, stated that the decision underscores the government’s commitment to a socially cohesive and economically progressive nation.
He explained that while several states have conducted caste surveys, inconsistencies in transparency and intent have prompted the Centre to incorporate it within the broader national census, rather than allow politically motivated separate surveys.
“This will ensure that society becomes stronger economically and socially, and the country’s progress continues without hindrance,” Vaishnaw added.
Under Article 246 of the Indian Constitution, the Census is a Union subject listed as Item 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule. The upcoming move marks the first time caste data will be officially collected in a national census since independence.
The DMK has not yet issued a formal response to Tamilisai Soundararajan’s comments, but the party has historically portrayed itself as a proponent of social justice and caste equity. The sharp exchange adds a new dimension to the political discourse around caste-based data and its impact on policymaking in India.