Rahul Gandhi leads Cong pitch for caste census, seeks removal of 50% cap

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Raising the pitch for a caste-based census, the Congress on Monday accused the government of resisting it while playing politics on the issue. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the underprivileged need economic and political power and not empty words as he again called for removing the 50 per cent ceiling on quota and demanded reservations for Dalits and tribals based on their population.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an up-to-date caste census, saying meaningful social justice and empowerment programmes are incomplete without such data. Supporting the Congress’ demand for an up-to-date caste census in the country, Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar said it would be beneficial for all sections of society.

The Bharatiya Janata Party unit in Bihar had supported a resolution at an all-party meeting convened by Nitish Kumar and later a unanimous resolution was passed in the Bihar Assembly on caste census. However, the BJP’s central leadership is yet to respond to the demand for a socio-economic and caste census raised now by the Congress. ‘Prime Minister ji, the underprivileged need political and economic power, not empty words,’ Gandhi said in a tweet in Hindi.