New Delhi, April 30: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday welcomed the Union Cabinet’s decision to include caste enumeration in the upcoming national census, calling it a long-pending move towards social justice. However, he also raised concerns about the sincerity of the government, pointing to the modest budget allocation for the census.
In a post on X, Kharge said, “The Congress party, especially Rahul Gandhi, has been consistently demanding a caste census. Today, the Modi government has finally agreed to it. It’s a step in the right direction, but we question its seriousness due to the meager ₹575 crore allocated in this year’s budget.”
Kharge emphasized that the demand for a caste-based census has been a key issue raised by the Congress and the INDIA bloc in Parliament and during election campaigns. “Time and again, Prime Minister Modi avoided this policy of social justice and falsely blamed the opposition for dividing society,” he said.
He asserted that meaningful empowerment cannot be achieved without caste-based data and urged the Centre to ensure transparency and adequate funding for the census process.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh also reacted to the development, recalling that the Congress had included the demand for a caste census in its social justice resolution passed in Ahmedabad earlier this month. “Better late than never,” he remarked.
Earlier in the day, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw briefed the media on the Cabinet’s decision, stating that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) had resolved to include caste enumeration in the next census.
“Some states have already undertaken caste surveys, but the census is the Centre’s responsibility. Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, this decision affirms the government's commitment to strengthening the nation’s social and economic fabric,” Vaishnaw said.
