Will PM 'hijack' another Congress guarantee and conduct caste census: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): A day after the RSS' comments on caste census, the Congress on Tuesday wondered whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would "hijack" another of its guarantee and conduct the caste census now with the Sangh having "given the green signal".
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Monday said it has no objection to collecting data on specific communities or castes, provided that the information is used for their welfare and not exploited as a political tool for electoral gains.
Reacting to the remarks, Congress' general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said RSS's preaching on caste census raises some basic questions such as - does it have a veto power over caste census.
"Who is the RSS to give permission for caste census? What does the RSS mean when it says caste census should not be misused for electioneering? Is it to be a judge or umpire?" Ramesh said in a post in Hindi on X.
Why has RSS maintained a "mysterious silence" on the need for a constitutional amendment to remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation for Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs, the Congress leader further asked.
"Now that the RSS has given the green signal, will the non-biological Prime Minister hijack another guarantee of Congress and conduct a caste census?" Ramesh said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had said on Monday night that the RSS should clearly tell the country whether it is in favour or against caste census.
"Is the Sangh Parivar, which is in favour of Manusmriti instead of the Constitution of the country, worried about the participation of Dalits, tribals, backward classes and poor-deprived society or not?" Kharge had said in a post in Hindi on X.
Addressing the media on Monday in Kerala's Palakkad after a three-day coordination conclave called Samanway Baithak, Sunil Ambekar, RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, said caste and caste-relations were a "very sensitive issue" for the Hindu society and it is an important issue "for our national unity and integrity".
He was responding to a query on caste census.
So, it should be dealt with "very seriously" and not just on the basis of elections or politics.
"So, as RSS thinks, yes, definitely for all welfare activities, addressing the particular community or caste which is lagging behind and so special attention is needed to some communities and caste. So, for that the government needs the numbers. It is very well practised....Earlier also it has taken. So, it can take it. No problem."
"But it should be only to address the welfare of those communities and caste. It should not be used as a political tool for electioneering. And so we put a caution line for everyone," Ambekar said.
Ambekar's statement came amidst campaigning by the opposition parties-- the Congress, Samajwadi Party and other INDIA bloc allies, seeking to hold a caste census for effective policy making.
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Bank unions firm on March 24-25 strike as talks with IBA fail
Kolkata, Mar 14 (PTI): The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on Thursday said its two-day nationwide strike on March 24 and 25 will be observed as scheduled since discussions with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) over key demands failed to yield any positive outcome.
In a meeting with the IBA, all UFBU constituents raised issues, including recruitment in all cadres and a five-day workweek. Still, the key issues remained unresolved, National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) General Secretary L Chandrasekhar said.
The UFBU, an umbrella body of nine bank employees' associations, earlier announced the strike to press for these demands which included filling up the workmen and officer director posts in public sector banks.
The unions have also sought the withdrawal of recent directives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) regarding performance reviews and performance-linked incentives, alleging that such measures threaten job security and create employees.
The UFBU has further opposed what it calls "micro-management" of public sector banks by the DFS, arguing that such interventions undermine the autonomy of bank boards.
Other demands include resolving residual issues with the IBA and amending the Gratuity Act to raise the ceiling to Rs 25 lakh, aligning it with the scheme for government employees and seeking exemption from income tax.
The UFBU comprises major bank unions, including the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), and All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA).
