Sonebhadra (UP), Jan 13 (PTI) Apna Dal (S) chief and Union Minister Anupriya Patel on Monday demanded the establishment of a dedicated ministry for the welfare of Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

At a press conference here, she said her party has consistently raised this demand both at the ministry level and in Parliament.

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Patel, whose party has been an NDA partner since the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, also voiced her support for a caste-based census.

When asked about former party MP Pakauri Lal Kol forming a new political outfit, she said, "In a democracy, everyone is free to form their own party.”

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She emphasized that her party had given Kol and his family significant opportunities. "We made him an MP, his son Rahul Kol an MLA. After Rahul's untimely demise, his wife was made an MLA and later a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections," Patel said.

"We have fulfilled our responsibilities, and the public is well aware of Pakauri Lal's activities during and after the elections," Patel added.

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