Fact Check: RSS Did Not Oppose Caste Census – Viral Claim Is FAKE

New Delhi (Vishvas News). A video viral on social media claims that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has openly ‘opposed’ the caste census, suggesting it can threaten the unity and integrity of the society. This claim is based on a news report featured in the viral video clip.

Vishvas News in its investigation found this claim to be false. Following the All India Coordination Meeting held in Palakkad, Kerala, the RSS supported the caste census and clarified that it should not be used for political and electoral purposes. Therefore, the claim that RSS opposed the caste census is wrong. The Sangh clarified that the government needs data for public welfare works, which is an established practice. The government has conducted such surveys earlier as well and can do so again. The RSS stressed that this data should be used for the welfare of communities and castes and not as a political weapon for elections.

What is viral?

Social media user ‘mallikarjunkharge_inc’ shared the viral video clip (archive link) with the caption, “RSS openly opposed caste census.”

At the time of investigation, the clip had garnered over 2000 likes. Many other users across various social media platforms have shared it with the same and similar claim.

Investigation

The video claims that the RSS is openly ‘opposing’ the caste census. To verify this claim, we conducted a news search and found several reports mentioning the Sangh’s on the issue.

According to a report by The Indian Express dated September 3, 2024, “At a time when the caste census has become a major issue by the Opposition, the Sangh has indicated its support for it, stating that it should not be used for electoral or political purposes.”

Caption: A report published by the Indian Express on September 3, 2024, highlighted the statement of RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar on the caste census issue.

Addressing a press conference on the last day of the RSS meeting in Kerala, Sunil Ambekar said, “RSS firmly believes that for all welfare activities, especially to target communities or castes that are lagging behind and need special attention, the government sometimes needs data and this is an established process. The government has collected such data in the past and can do so again. However, it should be done for the welfare of those communities and castes and not be used as a political weapon for elections.”

We also found other reports referencing this statement in the same context. According to a report by The Hindu, the RSS stated that caste census can be used for welfare work for the underprivileged, but cautioned against its misuse for elections.

The Times of India echoed this statement, reporting, “The RSS supported the caste census, saying that caste census data has been used before and it is an established process, but it should always be used for the upliftment of communities and not used as a political weapon to gain electoral advantage.”

All the reports highlighted the three-day coordination committee meeting of the RSS held in Palakkad, Kerala. To verify further, we searched for the original source and found a video of the press conference on the official YouTube channel of RSS, addressed by Sunil Ambekar.

In the video at the 13-minute and 30-second mark, Ambekar can be heard supporting the caste census for planning welfare initiatives for backward communities. He emphasises that while this process has been conducted before and can be repeated, it should not be exploited as a political tool for electoral gains.

During the press conference, Ambekar said, “I believe that the Sangh has already clarified its position on this issue and believes that the government needs data for public welfare work and this has been done before. We have no problem with using caste census data for the welfare of the backward castes or communities in the society.” He further stated that it should not be used for electoral advantages.

The report cited in the viral video clip is a screenshot from AajTak.com, which also quotes Sunil Ambekar saying, “….Caste reactions in our society are a sensitive issue and important for national integration. He clarified that caste census should not be used for election campaigns and electoral purposes.” Notably, the report does not mention that the RSS has opposed the caste census.

During our investigation, we found a screenshot of a tweet from the same channel, widely shared by social media users, falsely quoting the RSS saying that the caste census is a threat to the unity and integrity of the society. However, this tweet has now been deleted.

Our investigation revealed that the claim in the viral post that the RSS has opposed the caste census is misleading. The account that shared the viral video with the false claim is a fan account of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, with approximately four lakh followers on Instagram.

Conclusion: The claim that RSS opposes the caste census is misleading. The RSS clarified that the government needs such data for public welfare and they have no objection to using it to help marginalised communities.

Tags

• Cast census
• RSS