Referencing previous policy announcements such as the Women’s Reservation Bill, the party alleged that the BJP had a pattern of making grand statements without delivering results
NEW DELHI – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The party accused them of using the caste census announcement as a “headline management tool” to deflect attention from recent national security lapses, including the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam and a deep terrorist intrusion into Indian territory.
At a press conference here on Wednesday, AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda, flanked by Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj and party leader Adil Khan, questioned the timing of the BJP’s announcement on the caste census. “This is not a political agenda, it’s a societal necessity,” Dhanda said. “But the BJP is treating it like an electoral gimmick to distract from critical issues.”
Dhanda criticised the Union government for failing to respond adequately to the recent terror attack, stating, “We were expecting the BJP-led government to announce a concrete action plan — something to teach Pakistan a lesson or a declaration to reclaim PoK. Instead, the government tried to divert attention by suddenly bringing up the caste census.”
He accused the BJP of not taking the issue seriously, highlighting that despite widespread political support across parties for a caste enumeration, the BJP had avoided the issue until now. “There’s no timeline, no clarity, no procedural information. It’s just an announcement to change the narrative,” Dhanda added.
Referencing previous policy announcements such as the Women’s Reservation Bill, Dhanda alleged that the BJP made grand statements without delivering results. “Even after more than a year, there’s been no real progress. People are now asking if this caste census is heading the same way.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Delhi AAP chief Bharadwaj pointed to the heightened media buzz ahead of the government’s 4 pm announcement. “There was talk of an important declaration, even speculation that Pakistan was on edge. But when the time came, the government pivoted to a caste census instead of addressing national security,” he said.
“Do they think people are fools? You can’t run a country by jumping from one headline to another, People understand what’s going on,” Bharadwaj added.
In a strong statement on the social media platform X, AAP MP Sanjay Singh condemned the government’s lack of response to the killings in Pahalgam. “The entire nation expected Prime Minister Modi to act. Instead, to distract from the terror attack, he is now talking about the caste census. AAP supports the census, but it must not be used as a diversion or be forgotten like the women’s reservation issue,” Singh wrote.
The AAP’s sharp criticism comes amid mounting public anger over the security breach and calls from several political parties for a clear and robust response to cross-border terrorism.
