Congress workers in Hyderabad pour milk on the posters of Rahul Gandhi and Telangana CM Revanth Reddy as they celebrate the centre’s decision to conduct caste census (Screengrab) | X/@ANI
Hyderabad: Centre’s approval for caste survey in the upcoming national census sparked a credit war between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress. A day after Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the Centre’s decision about the caste enumeration, Congress workers in Telangana’s Hyderabad on Thursday celebrated the decision.
They poured milk on the posters of Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition LoP and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.
Earlier in the day, posters of the Lok Sabha LoP were put outside the AICC headquarters in the national capital on Thursday after the Centre announced that the forthcoming population census will include a caste census.
Rahul Gandhi’s posters after the Centre announces caste survey in the upcoming national census | X
Reacting to the Centre’s announcement, Gandhi on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government adopted the Congress party’s vision. The Congress leader also demanded the timeline for the caste census exercise.
“We had said in Parliament that we will carry out a caste census and remove the 50% reservation cap,” Gandhi stated. He further added, “We fully support the government and are ready to help design the caste census, using models like Telangana’s. But the government must give a timeline.”
Meanwhile, The Congress on Thursday attacked the government after its announcement of the decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the “master of giving a headline without a deadline”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said many questions arise about the decision, especially on the intention of the government, and demanded that the census should be done as soon as possible.
Taking a swipe at the prime minister at a debriefing at the party’s 24, Akbar Road office here, Ramesh said he is the “master at giving a headline without a deadline”.
On Wednesday, Vaishnaw, after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs meeting, announced that the Centre has decided to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise.
Addressing the media briefing, the Union Minister said, “Congress governments have always opposed caste census. Caste was not included in any census conducted since Independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister, the late Dr. Manmohan Singh ji, had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered by the Cabinet.”
“A Group of Ministers was formed to examine this issue. Most political parties had recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a caste survey rather than a full caste census,” he added.
