Caste census must be carried out to ‘honour public sentiment’: Andhra Pradesh CM
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also advocated for a ‘skill census’ and ‘economic analysis’ to reduce wealth disparity.
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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded a caste census to “honour sentiments of the people”.
In an interview to The Indian Express published on Thursday, the Telugu Desam Party leader said: “Caste census, yes, it has to be done. There is a sentiment, and there’s nothing wrong with it. You do a caste census, you do an economic analysis, and you go for a skill census. You work out how to build all these things and reduce economic disparities.”
A nationwide caste census has been a key demand of the Opposition.
Naidu’s party is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre.
The chief minister, however, clarified that poverty was the “biggest issue” in his view.
“Yes, you have to honour it [the public demand for a caste census],” Naidu said. “There are no second thoughts. At the same time, poverty is the biggest issue. Even if you belong to a weaker section, if you have money, society will respect you. If you are from an upper caste and don’t have money, nobody will respect you. Wealth is a big leveller. That’s where you have to find balance.”
In an interview with The Economic Times published on Wednesday, Naidu suggested conducting a census in real...
