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NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to conduct a caste census but demanded a clear timeline for its completion, calling it just the “first step” toward deeper social reform.
“We welcome the decision, but we need to know how much time it will take to conclude the census,” the Congress leader told reporters hours after the announcement.
He also credited public and political pressure for pushing the government to act and said, “We have shown we can pressure the government.”
Referring to the Congress party’s longstanding demand, the Rae Bareli MP said: “We had said in the Parliament that we will make caste census happen. We had also said that we would scrap the 50% cap, the artificial wall that is in place. Narendra Modi used to say that there are just four cases. Don’t know what happened but suddenly after 11 years, caste census has been announced.”
Calling Telangana a model for such an exercise, Rahul Gandhi said it could serve as a blueprint for the Centre. “We completely support it, but we want a timeline. This is the first step… There are two examples—Bihar’s and Telangana’s—and there is a vast difference between the two.”
Outlining the broader vision, Gandhi added, “Caste census is the first step. Our vision is of bringing a new development paradigm through caste census. Not just reservations, but we are also asking central questions—be it OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis, what is their participation in this country?”
He also urged the BJP-led NDA government to begin implementing Article 15(5), which allows for reservations in private education institutions. “This is already a law. We want the government to begin implementing it,” he said.
Gandhi said, ” I am saying that 28 people have been killed in cold blood. It is pretty clear who is responsible for this. The people who are responsible for this must pay a price. The PM has to take action. The action has to be clear and it has to be strong without any confusion. The PM must not dilly-dally, must not waste time, must make it very clear that India is not going to tolerate this type of nonsense. So, he needs to act…He can act in whatever timeframe he thinks necessary but he has to act soon.”
‘Trying to steal credit’: BJP slams Rahul’s ‘pressured govt’ remark on caste census
Meanwhile, shortly after Rahul Gandhi’s press briefing, the Bharatiya Janata Party hit back, accusing the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of trying to take credit for the caste census decision.
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “I want to ask Rahul Gandhi, that for many years Congress was in power, then why did they not conduct a caste census?”
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya also echoed similar criticism and said, “Rahul Gandhi must stop taking credit for the government’s decision on the caste census. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had already indicated on September 18, 2024, that the announcement was forthcoming. In 2011, the Congress-led UPA government initiated the Socio-Economic and Caste Census, which included a caste component—the first such attempt since 1931.”
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