Census Slip or Systemic Failure? Dhaliwal Holds Centre, Punjab Govt Accountable

Dhaliwal said that those responsible for the error should be identified and strict legal action should be taken against them.

Chandigarh, May 5, 2026: Retired IAS officer and MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal strongly condemned the use of objectionable and unconstitutional language in an official document related to the census published by the Punjab government. He stated that such language is a direct attack on the dignity of the Dalit community. He added that both the central government and the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government are responsible for the use of such language in the form.
The state government should immediately take steps to correct this mistake. The administrative officials who prepared the form must be identified and strict legal action should be taken against them. It must also be ensured that such an error does not occur again.
Dhaliwal said that the use of such language in a government form is extremely concerning and unacceptable. This is not merely an administrative lapse, but reflects serious negligence in sensitivity, oversight, and governance standards. The Supreme Court of India has clearly rejected and prohibited the use of such derogatory terminology, and its presence in any government document represents a grave institutional failure.
This incident raises serious questions about the functioning of the Punjab government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Aam Aadmi Party administration. The government should have thoroughly reviewed the forms before issuing them for the census. Despite repeated claims of transparent and reform-oriented governance, such cases expose a lack of effective oversight and sensitivity within the system.
Issuing a clarification after public outrage is not sufficient. The government must take moral and administrative responsibility, ensure accountability at all levels, and demonstrate that such mistakes will not be repeated.
Those responsible must be identified and held accountable. Immediate corrective measures should be taken to ensure that all government documents fully comply with constitutional values and legal directives.
There should be zero tolerance for caste-based insult or discrimination in governance. Punjab deserves better, and its people will not accept anything less.