Congress questions PM Modi’s silence on caste survey in BJP states

He emphasized that the OBC delegation met Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in Rajasthan last year, urging for a caste-based census.

New Delhi: A day after the Rajasthan government announced caste-based survey in the state, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that it will ensure in making policies for the OBC, SC, and ST communities, and also questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on its implementation in BJP-ruled states.

He also highlighted how the delegation of OBCs had met Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra last year in Rajasthan and demanded for the caste-based census.

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Ramesh, who is party’s general secretary communication in-charge in a post in Hindi on X, said, “When Bharat Jodo Yatra was in Rajasthan, delegations of many communities had met Rahul Gandhi. During that time the OBC delegation had specifically raised the demand for caste census. Rahul Gandhi took their words very seriously.”

“Now the Rajasthan government has decided to conduct a caste based survey in accordance with their sentiments. This is a welcome step. This will especially help in making policies for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. It is also very important to ensure social justice and population sharing,” he said.

Taking a potshot at BJP, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said, “The question is why such initiatives are not being taken in any BJP ruled state and why is the Prime Minister silent on the issue of caste census?”

His remarks came a day after the Rajasthan government issued an order to conduct a caste survey in the state.

The order issued by the Social Justice and Empowerment Department on Saturday night comes days after Bihar released the findings of its caste survey and ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls in Rajasthan.