Congress Slams BJP for Taking Credit on Caste Census, Calls PM’s Announcement a ‘Headline Without a Deadline’

The Congress on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recalling that he had last year dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census as reflective of an “urban naxal mindset.” The party criticized BJP leaders for now claiming credit for the government’s decision to include caste enumeration in the long-delayed decennial census, which has been pending for over five years.

In a sharp political escalation, the Congress stated that the government has failed to clarify the timeline for conducting the census. “The Prime Minister has given a headline without a deadline,” the party said, accusing the BJP of deploying a diversionary tactic at a time when the country is grieving over the recent Pahalgam terror attack.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) is scheduled to meet on Friday to deliberate on the government’s announcement regarding the caste census. The party is expected to intensify pressure on the government, reiterating that the decision was made under sustained pressure from Rahul Gandhi. The CWC will also take up the issue of the Pahalgam attack during the meeting.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the RSS and its political affiliate Jan Sangh of historically opposing reservations, asserting that they had no moral authority to criticize the Congress. He reminded that a socio-economic caste census was carried out by the UPA government in 2013, but the Modi government has not released that data despite repeated appeals.

Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh pointed to Modi’s April 28, 2024, interview ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, where the PM had reportedly dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census by labeling it “urban naxal mindset.” Ramesh also recalled Modi’s campaign slogans like “ek hain to safe hain” and “bantenge to katenge” used during the Maharashtra assembly elections to counter the caste census narrative pushed by Rahul Gandhi.

“But now BJP ministers are taking credit,” Ramesh said. “The PM has been silent on the demand for 11 years, and suddenly, when the nation is mourning the Pahalgam tragedy, he announces the caste census. How can we take this seriously? It is nothing but headline management and a diversionary tactic,” he added.

Expressing skepticism about the government’s intent, Ramesh questioned the feasibility of conducting the census. “Such an exercise takes at least 10 months,” he said. He presented a government press release stating that the Union Cabinet had, on December 24, 2019, decided to conduct the Census 2021 without including caste data, with an allocated budget of Rs 8,254 crore. “The census is already overdue by four years, and yet, the government has only allocated Rs 575 crore for the census commissioner in 2025-26. How do they plan to conduct a census with such meager funds?” Ramesh asked.

As a follow-up to caste enumeration, Congress demanded that the government bring a constitutional amendment to eliminate the 50% ceiling on reservations. The party cited Bihar’s caste-based survey, after which the state raised its reservation limit to 65%. This move, however, has faced legal challenges due to the existing judicial cap. Congress suggested that the government either amend the Constitution or place such quota laws under the Ninth Schedule to protect them from judicial review.

Ramesh acknowledged that caste enumeration can sometimes lead to disputes over undercounting among communities. However, he emphasized that caste remains a permanent and inescapable element of Indian society and cannot be ignored. He also noted that while opinions within Congress initially differed over the issue, Rahul Gandhi has successfully built a consensus in favor of caste enumeration over the past five years.