Kharge writes to PM Modi, urges him to consult all political parties on caste survey
Congress chief also requests PM to remove 50 pc cap on quota and use Telangana model for caste census
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove the 50 per cent cap for reservation, use the Telangana model for the caste survey, and immediately implement Article 15(5) providing for reservations for SCs, STs, and OBCs in private educational institutions.
Request for dialogue
In a letter to Modi, Kharge also urged the Prime Minister to have a dialogue with all political parties on the issue of the caste survey.
"Conducting any exercise such as the caste census, which gives the backward, the oppressed and the marginalized sections of our society their rights cannot and should not be considered divisive in any way," Kharge said.
"Our great nation and our large-hearted people have always come together as one whenever needed, just as we have done after the recent cowardly terrorist attacks in Pahalgam," he said in his letter to Modi dated May 5.
Also read: Announce timeline, details of caste survey; remove 50 pc cap on quota: Cong
‘Caste census must for social justice’
Kharge said, the Congress believes that a comprehensive caste census is absolutely necessary to ensure social and economic justice as well as equality of status and opportunity for all, as pledged in the Preamble.
Sharing Kharge's letter on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Following the CWC meeting on May 2nd, the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge ji wrote to the PM last night on Mr. Modi's sudden and desperate U-turn on the caste census - even as the nation's anguish and anger at the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks continued unabated." "Kharge ji has made three very specific suggestions," he said.
(With inputs from agencies)