Rahul welcomes govt’s caste census decision, wants timeline for its implementation

Terming caste enumeration as Congress’ “vision”, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday welcomed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s decision to conduct a caste census, while demanding a clear timeline for its completion. Rahul called the government’s decision as the “first step” toward deeper social reform.

“We welcome the decision, but we need to know how much time it will take to conclude the census,” the Congress leader told mediapersons hours after the announcement.

He also credited public and political pressure for pushing the government to act on caste census, saying, “We have shown we can pressure the government.”

The Rae Bareli MP reiterated the Congress’s longstanding demand for a nationwide caste census and scrapping of the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

“We had said in Parliament that we will make the caste census happen. We had also said we would scrap the 50 per cent cap—the artificial wall that exists. Narendra Modi used to say there are just four cases. Don’t know what changed, but suddenly, after 11 years, caste census has been announced,” he said.

‘PM must not dilly-dally’

New Delhi: Reiterating that the whole Opposition rallies behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his actions against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the terrorists who perpetrated the Pahalgam attack have to pay for their deeds. Rahul said he met the family of one of the victims, Shubham Dwivedi, in Kanpur. “The PM must not dilly-dally. He should make it very clear that India is not going to tolerate this type of nonsense. So, he needs to act...He can act in whatever timeframe he thinks necessary but he has to act soon,” he added.

Rahul cited Telangana as a model for such an exercise, saying it could serve as a blueprint for the Centre.

“We fully support it, but we want a timeline. This is just the first step. There are two examples — Bihar and Telangana —and there is a vast difference between them,” he added.

Outlining the party’s broader agenda, he said: “Caste census is the first step. Our vision is to bring a new development paradigm through it. It’s not just about reservations — we are raising fundamental questions about the participation of OBCs, Dalits and Adivasis in the country.”

He also urged the BJP-led NDA government to start implementing Article 15(5), which allows for reservations in private educational institutions. “This is already a law. We want the government to begin implementing it,” he said.