Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition, welcomed the government’s decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming population census. He praised it as a “first step” but demanded that the government present a clear timeline and allocate the necessary funds to carry it out.
“We support this move completely, but we want to know when it will happen and how much will be allocated to it,” said Gandhi during a press conference.
Congress Welcomes the Move, Calls It Long Overdue
The Congress party has consistently pushed for a caste census, and Gandhi emphasized that this decision should have come earlier. Jairam Ramesh, Congress General Secretary, shared a 2023 letter from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding the inclusion of caste data in the census.
While the party calls it “better late than never,” they insist the government must act swiftly with a clear plan.
BJP Criticizes Congress for Political Use of Caste Census
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw accused Congress of using the caste census issue for political gain, claiming that previous UPA governments failed to conduct a full caste census. He criticized them for conducting partial surveys instead.
RJD and JD(U) Leaders Express Support for the Move
Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, emphasized that the caste census must be done before delimitation and should protect reservations for OBCs and other marginalized groups under the Constitution.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, who conducted a caste survey in Bihar, also expressed his support, calling the census a key step for social justice and development
