Caste Census LIVE: Govt gave headline but where is deadline, questions Congress

Caste Census: War of Words between BJP and BJD, Congress over credit in Odisha

The ruling BJP in Odisha on Thursday firmly rejected allegations that it acted under pressure from opposition parties like the BJD and the Congress in approving the inclusion of caste enumeration in the upcoming national census.

In separate press conferences, leaders from both the BJD and Congress claimed that the Centre’s decision was the result of their longstanding demands.

Congress workers, led by OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das, celebrated the development with a 'Vijay Utsav' at the party’s state headquarters on Thursday evening.

Both parties took credit for Wednesday’s decision by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) to include a caste survey in the next census. They maintained that the Centre had "bowed to pressure." "Our leader Rahul Gandhi has been advocating for the caste-based census since a long time, both in Parliament and outside. They (BJP) criticised our leader and dismissed his arguments. But, now they have been forced to accept our demand," OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das said.

He criticised the NDA for taking a decade to take the decision.

Das also took aim at the previous BJD government, which remained in power in Odisha for 24 years.

He noted that although the OBC population in the state is around 54 per cent, they receive only 11.27 per cent reservation in government recruitment.

He further expressed concern over the lack of OBC reservation in the education sector.

In a separate press conference, BJD leaders Sanjay Das Burma, Arun Kumar Sahoo, and Snehangini Chhuria emphasised that former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had been demanding a caste-based census since 2010.

"The recent decision of the Centre to go for caste enumeration is a result of our leader’s consistent efforts," the BJD said in an official statement.

BJD MLA and former minister Arun Kumar Sahoo said Patnaik had first envisioned the idea of conducting a caste enumeration in the country.

"The Centre was finally forced to go for caste enumeration only because of the pressure mounted on them," Sahoo said.

Poster war in Patna over credit for caste census

A poster war has erupted on the streets of Patna between workers of the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc, each claiming credit for the Centre’s decision to include caste-based data in the upcoming census.

The Union government on Wednesday announced that caste enumeration would be part of the forthcoming census exercise.

In response, political party offices across the Bihar capital have been adorned with posters.

Outside the JD(U) office, a poster displayed on Thursday expressed gratitude to both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It read: "Nitish showed it, now the same has been adopted in the country. Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Caste census from Bihar to India." Meanwhile, opposition parties RJD and Congress also put up posters outside their respective state offices, crediting their leaders for pressuring the Centre to take the decision.

An RJD’s poster read: "People bow, they need someone to make them bow. Ultimately, the central government accepted what Lalu and Tejashwi were saying. The credit goes to Lalu and Tejashwi." Congress workers took their celebration a step further by pouring and rubbing milk on a poster of Rahul Gandhi outside the party’s state unit office.

Another poster credited Gandhi for the Centre’s announcement on the caste census.

Reacting to these claims, senior BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary told reporters on Thursday: "Credit for the decision to include caste-based data in the upcoming census goes to our PM Narendra Modi only. If Lalu says that a caste-based census was passed in 1995–96, why was it not implemented? For 10 years, the Congress government at the Centre had Lalu's support — why did the caste census not move forward?"

On the other hand, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav took to X and said: "In 2021, I wrote letters to 33 prominent leaders of the country urging them to support a caste-based census in the country. For the caste-based census, we and our socialist leaders have made many sacrifices. We have endured much humiliation, character assassination, and casteist remarks by the NDA leaders over this issue."

Increase reservation to 68 per cent: Kharge to Centre

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday demanded that the Centre remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations and increase it to 68 per cent.

Kharge also accused the union government of not being keen on conducting the caste census initially and agreeing after the pressure built by the Congress party.

“I demand that the Centre remove the 50 per cent cap on reservations and increase it to 67 to 68 per cent,” he said addressing a public meeting in Hubballi.

The Congress held the event under the title, “Save Constitution, Save the Country”. The event is also against the price rise.

The party has alleged that the Centre was responsible for the hike in prices of essential commodities.

According to Kharge, the reservation should be increased to 68 per cent in line with the reservation provided by the Tamil Nadu government.

He charged that the Centre was coming on way to increase reservation to 67 to 68 per cent.

The Congress president alleged that the Centre was initially not keen on conducting the caste census.

“The Centre never wanted to even conduct census but we don’t know how good sense prevailed upon them,” he quipped.

He also sought to know why the census did not take place in 2021.

Had it happened then, we would have come to know the condition of the citizens, their per capita income, their salaries, number of jobs created and the number of people who came out of poverty, Kharge noted.

Himachal CM welcomes Centre's caste census move

Allocate sufficient funds, fix time limit, Kharge tells Centre

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday urged for the allocation of sufficient funds and the fixing of a time limit for the caste enumeration in the next census, which has been announced by the Central government.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said the Congress and other opposition parties had demanded a caste census and staged agitations for it throughout the country, and now they are happy that they have achieved what they intended.

"I had written a letter two years back on the caste census along with the general census. They did not agree then, but now the government has taken a decision to conduct a caste census along with the general census. It is a good thing, and we will fully cooperate with this. But they (BJP) should not comment unnecessarily on Jawaharlal Nehru, saying he was opposed to it, this and that," Kharge said.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said the Jan Sangh and RSS, by birth, are against reservation, and such people are now talking about the Congress not being in favour of the caste census.

"If we were against the caste census, would I have written the letter two years ago? Would we have conducted so many agitations for it? They (BJP) try to create confusion in the minds of the people and try to project that they are the only ones interested in the country's welfare. It is bogus. I don't agree. For political purposes, they always do such things," he added.

Rahul claiming credit for something Congress couldn't do in 60 years, says BJP MP

Shimla MP and former state president of BJP Suresh Kashyap on Thursday lashed out at the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, over "claiming" credit for the central government's decision to conduct a caste-based census across the country.

He said, "Rahul Gandhi is claiming credit for something Congress could never deliver in 60 years while being in power." Addressing the media in Shimla, Kashyap said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to conduct a caste-based census is a historic decision aimed at society's welfare. 

Congress slams Union govt for not giving any deadline

The Congress on Thursday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the "master of giving a headline without a deadline" and called the government's caste census decision a "diversionary tactic" in the face of demands for taking strong action against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said many questions arise about the decision, especially on the intention of the government, and asked "where is the deadline" for conducting the census.

Taking a swipe at the prime minister at a debriefing at the party's 24, Akbar Road office here, Ramesh said he is the "master at giving a headline without a deadline".

Ramesh also said the BJP government agreeing to a caste census reflected their "moral and political defeat".

"Mr Modi and the RSS have been dead against a caste census from day 1. That is why yesterday Mr Rahul Gandhi said it was a sudden development," he said.

"The PM has taken his biggest U-turn, he took a U-turn on GST, Aadhaar, MGNREGA, food security act and now he has taken a U-turn on caste census. Now we know where Nitish Kumar caught this habit of making U-turns, there's is a 'jugalbandi' of U-turns. There is no parallel of the PM in taking U-turns," Ramesh said.

He said the biggest issue before the country is the Pahalgam attack.

"The biggest issue is how do we deal with terrorism and what response should be given to the mastermind of the terror attack. That is the only issue, all other things are important and their time will come but the main issue is... what response will you give to Pakistan, what justice will you give to the families of the victims," Ramesh said.

Ramesh noted that Prime Minister Modi had vowed to go after the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack.

"I was thinking that Mohan Bhagwat meeting him, the holding of the CCS and the CCPA are in the context of the Pahalgam attack. I was completely surprised by it (decision of caste census). I could never have imagined that they would do this and that is why I suspect that this is headline management and a diversionary tactic," he said. PTI

Credit goes to Rahul for caste census: Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday credited Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for the Centre's move to include caste enumeration in the next census, but claimed the decision was taken to divert people's attention from the Pahalgam terrorist attack.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said the timing of the caste enumeration decision was suspect as it was taken just a week after the terrorist attack in south Kashmir's Pahalgam town where 26 people, mostly tourists, were massacred.

The Rajya Sabha MP claimed said the decision was taken to divert people's attention when the BJP-led government at the Centre was facing questions over the April 22 carnage.

On Wednesday, the Centre announced that caste enumeration will be a part of the next population census, with the inclusion of caste details for the first time since independence hailed by the BJP and its allies as a “historic” step to help design “truly equitable and focused” policies. The decision was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA).

Raut emphasised that caste census is an issue linked to social justice.

"This decision is important in terms of the bahujan (people in majority) population. Even if the Cabinet (CCPA) has taken the decision (on caste enumeration), the people, the country, Dalits, oppressed and underprivileged society are giving Rahul Gandhi credit for it," he asserted. PTI

We don't need to listen to Rahul Gandhi or Revanth Reddy: Kishan Reddy

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy asserts that the Centre’s caste census initiative is only at its early stage and will be taken up in Parliament.

He emphasised that the BJP-led government will follow its own “nationalist model” and doesn't need to replicate any other party’s approach.