CWC supports caste census, a ‘powerful step’ for emancipation of poor: Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Congress Working Committee has taken a "historic decision" unanimously to support the demand for a nationwide caste census.

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Congress Working Committee has taken a “historic decision” unanimously to support the demand for a nationwide caste census, asserting it is a “powerful step” for the emancipation of the poor and that the party will force the ruling BJP to conduct it.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the highest decision-making body of the party, Gandhi expressed confidence that a vast majority of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties will support and push for such a population count.

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If any party has a different opinion, the Congress is flexible and is “not fascist”, he noted.

Gandhi said the Congress would force the BJP government to conduct a caste census at the national level and if the BJP does not do so, it should get out of the path and allow the Congress to accomplish the task.

He also alleged that Prime minister Narendra Modi was “incapable” and “fearful” of holding a caste census and was trying to distract people from it.

Flanked by the party’s chief ministers in four states, Gandhi said the decision of the CWC to support a caste census would be taken forward in the states ruled by the party.

“The Congress Working Committee (CWC) after a four-hour meeting has taken a historic decision and unanimously decided to support the idea of a caste census in the country. I think it is a very progressive and powerful step for the emancipation of the poor people in the country,” he said.

He said the Congress is not just going to wholeheartedly support the idea of caste census “but also force the BJP to carry out caste census or get out of the way so we can carry it out”.

“Most of the parties in the INDIA alliance are unanimous that caste census should be implemented. There might be a few who might have a slightly different position and that is fine. We are quite flexible and we are not a fascist system and if somebody has a slightly different opinion, we have no problem with it.

“But I am quite confident that the vast majority of the INDIA alliance is going to support and push the idea of caste census,” Gandhi said.

The former Congress president said the prime minister is not working for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and his work is to distract them. The prime minister is their “main instrument” in creating such distractions, he alleged.

He said the Congress will also conduct an economic survey after a caste census and find out who has the wealth and assets.

Admitting that it was a mistake on the part of the party not to conduct a caste census when in power, he said, “We will accomplish what we could not achieve earlier. There is a need for this X-ray if we have to bring a new paradigm for development, where everyone gets justice.” On the prime minister’s charge that the Congress is “dividing” people, he said, “We are not trying to divide people but trying to ensure that they get their rights. I fail to understand why is the prime minister not conducting this X-Ray and why is he fearing doing so. He is trying to distract the people by raising issues of delimitation or south India.”

“We feel that in India, Dalits, OBCs, tribals are not being given rights as per their population. We have this suspicion and we want to find out whether there is truth in this or not. Narendra Modi is scared of getting this X-Ray done,” he said.

He said three of the four chief ministers of the Congress were from Other Backward Classes, whereas in the BJP the figure was one out of 10 chief ministers.

Gandhi reiterated his statement in Parliament that only three out of 90 secretaries in the central government belonged to Other Backward Classes.

For the prime minister, he alleged, it is acceptable that those accounting for around 50 per cent of the population should have no right in running the government.

Gandhi lauded the steps taken by the Congress-led state governments and said the good and historic things done by them would be implemented at the national level if the party is elected to power at the Centre.

He said the Congress chief ministers believe caste census is an important step and are considering taking necessary action on it.

He rejected the proposition that the upcoming assembly elections would be a litmus test for the party, saying “litmus test works in chemistry and not in politics.” On caste census, Gandhi said this is not a question of caste or dharma, this is a question of poverty and this work is being done for India’s OBCs, Dalits, tribals and the poor.

“Today what is happening is that two Indias are being formed – one of Adani ji and the other of the rest,” he said.

“There is no political calculation in this and we want to ensure that India’s masses get the rights in proportion of their population,” he said.

At the press conference, he also asked for a show of hands from journalists to know how many of them were Dalits and OBCs to make a point that people from weaker sections were not getting their share in the country’s assets and institutions.