Will PM acknowledge policy change on caste census, commit to a timeline, asks Cong

Claiming that PM Narendra Modi made a “desperate U-turn” on the caste census, the Congress on Sunday asked whether he would have the honesty to acknowledge that his government had officially changed its policy on the subject and commit to a timeline for such a survey.

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Congress general secretary (in-charge, communications) Jairam Ramesh said evidence abounds on PM Modi’s “sudden, complete, and desperate U-turn” on the caste census.

Citing examples, Ramesh said in a TV interview on April 28, 2024, Modi branded all those demanding a caste census as “urban naxals”.

“On July 20, 2021, the Modi government told Parliament that it had decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs in the Census,” the Congress leader said on X.

In its affidavit to the Supreme Court dated September 21, 2021, the Modi government clearly stated that “the exclusion of information regarding any other caste (outside of SCs and STs) from the purview of census (2021) is a conscious policy decision taken by the Central Government as explained in the preceding paragraphs,” he said.

Ramesh asked the PM would he explain to the people and Parliament the reasons for the change in the government's policy. He also questioned whether the PM would commit to a timeline for the caste census.