Murshidabad (West Bengal) [India], May 4 : Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Sunday credited party leader Rahul Gandhi for the centre's decision to conduct caste census with general census, saying that the "ruling party had to bow down" in front of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha's firm stand.
"For the last several years, Rahul Gandhi was demanding caste census in the country but the BJP made fun of him... Today, if there is any fearless leader in the country, it is Rahul Gandhi because he remained firm on his stand and as a result the ruling party had to bow down," Congress's Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.
Chowdury further demanded that the caste census should be done in a "time-bound manner."
"Our demand is that this (caste based census) should be done in a time-bound manner. A time should be fixed as to when the caste census will be completed," he said.
Earlier in the day, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as a 'sudden and desperate U-turn' on caste census in India.
Through a social media post, the Congress leader highlighted how the Modi government had previously opposed the idea of a caste-based census.
He referred to three instances that he says clearly show the government's change in stance. In April 2024, Prime Minister Modi, during a television interview, had labeled those demanding a caste census as "urban naxals."
Ramesh also recalled that in July 2021, the central government had informed Parliament that it had decided not to collect caste-wise population data, except for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
Taking to X, Jairam Ramesh wrote, "Evidence abounds on Mr. Modi's sudden, complete, and desperate U-turn on the caste census. Here are just three examples- Last year, on April 28 2024, in a TV interview he branded all those demanding a caste census as "urban naxals. On July 20, 2021, the Modi Government told Parliament that it had "decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in the Census.'
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.
The Congress party meanwhile passed a resolution demanding the immediate implementation of clause 5 of Article 15 of the Indian Constitution to enable reservations for Other Backwards Classes (OBCS), Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions. The resolution also said that updated caste data must be used to strengthen reservation policies.
Clause 5 of Article 15, which discusses reservations in educational institutions, allows the state to make special provisions "for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions including private educational institutions."