New Delhi: MoS Anupriya Singh Patel during Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
Prayagraj, Sep 2 (PTI) Union Minister of State Anupriya Patel here on Monday said her party Apna Dal (S) wants a counting of the backward class population in the next census and also batted for creation of a dedicated central ministry for the community.
The Apna Dal (S) president said this during the district-level workers' conference of her party, which is an ally in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Addressing workers from across Uttar Pradesh at Civil Lines here, Patel said, "There is a very large population of backward classes in the country. In the 1990s, when the Mandal Commission recommendations were implemented, it was estimated that the population of backward classes was 52 per cent.
"In so many years, the population of the country has reached 140 crore and by 2047, when the country will complete 100 years of its Independence, the population is estimated to reach 167 crore. By then, the population of backward classes will also increase to a great extent," she said.
Patel said there are many problems and challenges of such a large population of the country, on which the government needs to pay attention.
"At one time, there was no Ministry of Minority Welfare and Ministry of Tribal Welfare at the Centre. But later these ministries were formed to solve the problems of minority and tribal population," she said.
"Apna Dal believes that there is a very large population of backward classes in this country. Therefore, when the census is done in the country, the backward classes should also be counted so that authentic figures of the backward class population can come out. It is necessary to form a Ministry of Backward Classes for justice to the backward classes," Patel said.
Referring to President Draupadi Murmu's statement on the culture of giving dates after dates in courts, the minister said there is only one solution to this problem that there should be an examination for judicial posts at the all-India level so that young men and women from every corner of the country can serve from the lower court to the Supreme Court.
"This will bring social diversity in judiciary and the shortage of judges will be overcome," Patel added.
Meanwhile, she also appealed to all the party workers to put in their best efforts to ensure the victory of NDA candidates in the by-elections to be held on 10 Assembly seats in the state.
"Whatever the symbol, on whichever seats NDA candidates will contest, you (workers) have to work with all your might to ensure their victory and send them to the Uttar Pradesh Assembly," she said.