Anbumani meets T.N. CM Vijay, urges caste-based survey announcement in Governor’s address

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PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss calls on Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat on Tuesday | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) met Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat in Chennai, urging the State government to announce a caste-based survey during the Governor’s address to the Assembly on June 18.

Mr. Anbumani told journalists that he met the Chief Minister with the resolution passed at a multi-party meeting chaired by him last week, in which representatives of 42 political parties and organisations participated and “unanimously” sought a caste-based survey in the State.

He said the resolution stressed the need to protect the existing 69% reservation policy in Tamil Nadu. Reservation policies across India were being implemented on the basis of caste census data collected during the British period nearly 95 years ago, he said.

“These old data are no longer relevant. Both the Supreme Court and the High Courts have not accepted these outdated figures. We need modern and accurate data. Therefore, conducting a caste-based survey is the need of the hour,” he said.

According to him, the caste census announced by the Centre would only provide headcount and macro-level data, whereas a survey conducted by the State government would provide micro-level details. “The caste-based survey will reveal the actual condition of eight crore people and provide accurate socio-economic and educational details of nearly 2.25 crore families in the State,” he believed.

To a question on the functioning of the new government, he felt there had been a substantial reduction in corruption. He had urged the Chief Minister to convene an all-party meeting to discuss issues concerning the State over the Karnataka government’s proposal to construct a balancing reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu.