Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Criticizes BJP Government for Census Failure

Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh Criticizes BJP Government for Census Failure image/PTI

Jairam Ramesh Slams Modi Government Over Census Delay and Data Suppression

G20 Summit Prompts Reflection

As the G20 Summit gathers in New Delhi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has taken the opportunity to criticize the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government. He highlighted the government’s failure to conduct the decadal Census, a critical statistical exercise that has been carried out consistently since 1951.

“No Data Available” Government

In a statement posted on social media, Ramesh referred to the NDA government as “No Data Available” due to its inability to conduct the Census, unlike most other G20 countries, including developing nations like Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa, which managed to do so despite the pandemic.

Exclusion of Millions from Food Entitlements

Ramesh emphasized that this delay has resulted in the exclusion of approximately 140 million Indians from their food entitlements under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). He called it a denial of a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and criticized the government’s reliance on the outdated 2011 Census data for NFSA coverage.

Failure to Address Critical Issues

Ramesh also pointed out the government’s reluctance to conduct a caste census and its opposition to state-level caste surveys. He highlighted various instances where the government had allegedly discredited, discarded, or manipulated data that didn’t align with its narrative.

Call for Action

In conclusion, Ramesh called on the government to stop denying basic rights to millions of Indians under the NFSA and to increase the beneficiary quota until the Census is conducted. He also urged for an updated national caste census and an end to the suppression of inconvenient data, emphasizing the importance of restoring faith in India’s statistical system.