Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 1 (ANI): Congress workers in Hyderabad celebrated and showered milk over the posters of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and party MP Rahul Gandhi, along with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy as a gesture of reverence and gratitude after the Centre announced that the forthcoming population census will include a caste census.
The Congress workers also burst crackers, danced and distributed sweets (laddoos) as part of the celebrations.
Chanting slogans in support of social justice and the Congress leadership, party workers gathered at various locations across the city, calling the move a “victory of Rahul Gandhi’s vision.”
The celebration highlights the Congress’s longstanding demand for a caste-based census to ensure the fair distribution of resources and representation.
Posters of Rahul Gandhi, who has long advocated for a caste census, were displayed outside the state Congress party office.
The poster read, “Didn’t we say? Modi Ji will have to conduct the caste census — we will make sure it happens!” and “In a world that bows, we need someone who can make it bow.”
Similar posters of the Congress MP were also displayed in the national capital outside the AICC headquarters.
On April 30, Rahul Gandhi said that the party supported the government’s decision to conduct the caste enumeration during the population census, but should specify a timeline.
Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader stated that Telangana has established a model for conducting a caste census, and it can serve as a blueprint for the exercise at the national level.
He said the Congress has been demanding a caste census and the government had “suddenly, after 11 years”, taken this decision.”We had stated in Parliament that we would implement the Caste Census. We also said that we would scrap the 50 per cent cap, the artificial wall that is in place. Narendra Modi used to say that there are just four castes. Don’t know what happened, but suddenly after 11 years, Caste Census has been announced,” Rahul Gandhi said.
“We completely support it, but we want a timeline. We want to know by when this will happen. This is the first step. Telangana has become a model for the Caste Census, and it can serve as a blueprint. We offer our support to the government in designing the Caste Census…There are two examples – Bihar’s and Telangana’s, and there is a vast difference between the two,” he added.
Gandhi stated that the caste census is the first step, and a new development paradigm is needed.
“I would like to reiterate that the caste census is the first step. Our vision is to bring a new development paradigm through the Caste Census. Not just reservations, but we are also asking central questions – be it OBCS, Dalits, Adivasis, what is their participation in this country? Through Caste Census it will be found, but we have to go ahead of Caste Census…We had mentioned one more thing: Congress had raised one more point, which was also mentioned in the manifesto, specifically Article 15(5) – reservation in private educational institutions. This is already a law. We want the NDA-BJP Government to begin implementing it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy welcomed the Central government’s decision to conduct a caste census and urged the Union Government to establish a group of ministers and a committee of experts to study how different states have conducted their own censuses and conduct a detailed study for a nationwide caste census.
Telangana, which has recently completed a comprehensive caste census, said,” Under pressure, today, the central government has taken this decision. We won’t do politics at this point. We welcome this decision under the leadership of PM Modi…we request that if they want to conduct a caste census, they should constitute a committee of union cabinet ministers and then an expert committee and conduct a study.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at a media briefing following the cabinet meeting that the decision demonstrates the present government’s commitment to the holistic interests and values of the nation and society.
According to Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the Census is a Union subject listed at item 69 in the Union List of the Seventh Schedule.
“While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey,” Vaishnaw said. (ANI)
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