Maharashtra BJP leader demands nationwide census of OBC communities

Maharashtra BJP leader and former state minister Pankaja Munde on Monday said there should be a nationwide census of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities. Talking to reporters here, she said the demand for an OBC census had been made earlier by her father late Gopinath Munde, one of the tallest leaders of the party in the state.

"Caste wise census should be done. It will give justice to various communities. I will raise this issue with the Centre," she said. The former Parli MLA had, on Sunday, tweeted in Hindi demanding an OBC census.

Meanwhile, replying to a query on a Marathi television channel about her cousin and NCP minister Dhananjay Munde facing a rape allegation, which was later withdrawn by the woman complainant, the BJP leader said it never occurred to her to make this issue "a weapon for political gain".

"The thought of reaping political benefit did not come to my mind. I didn't make this case a weapon for political gain," Munde said. The NCP minister was accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, but she early this week approached police and withdrew her complaint without citing any reason.