Rahul Gandhi, the Congress leader, stated today that the former UPA government’s failure to perform a caste census was a “mistake” because they were the ones who proposed the concept. However, he stated that the party intends to correct the situation, beginning with a caste survey in Congress-ruled Telangana and Karnataka. A Congress-JMM triumph in Jharkhand will assure a similar procedure in the eastern state, he continued.
Speaking in Ranchi, Jharkhand, Mr Gandhi, the Opposition Leader in the Lok Sabha, stated, “The UPA and Congress proposed a caste census. I think it was a mistake that we didn’t adopt it back then.”
He stated that the party is doing a rigorous exercise in the two southern states, engaging with various stakeholders and “preparing the questions of the caste census through a public discussion”.
The “very clear vision” of the Congress for the caste census, he claimed.
The current absence of statistics on the Backward Classes impedes efficient government and equitable wealth distribution, he emphasized. “Once we have accurate data, we can develop policies to ensure justice for all sections,” he told reporters.
“I promise you that the caste census, which I promised to implement in the Lok Sabha and will do in Jharkhand, will be a significant step forward in the development and transformation of our nation. The BJP people don’t know how to do this, even if they wanted to,” he said.
The Congress has promised to lift the 50% reservation cap after conducting a caste census, which the BJP has condemned as politics of regionalism, religion, and linguistic disparities.
“By speaking about removing reservations in the country, Rahul Gandhi has once again highlighted the Congress’ anti-reservation attitude. When Mr Gandhi discussed this issue abroad, Union Minister Amit Shah claimed that the thoughts in his head eventually found their way out as words.
Ahead of the upcoming assembly election in Jharkhand, Mr Gandhi has vowed to boost quotas for Scheduled Castes and Tribes and Other Backward Classes if the Grand Alliance wins power.