Congress labels Centre’s caste census plan a deception

Addressing the media at the AICC headquarters, Ramesh criticized the lack of consultation with state governments and political parties regarding the methodology notified on August 14. He highlighted that despite three years of persistent requests and multiple letters sent by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has remained unresponsive. The party contends that the current framework fails to meet the standard of a genuine social audit.

Ramesh contrasted the government’s plan with the successful surveys conducted in Bihar and Telangana, which published findings in 2023 and 2025 respectively. He argued that the current path ignores critical requirements, such as the pre-existence of a comprehensive caste list, a move supported by a 2021 Supreme Court affidavit. The Congress leader pointed to the 4,200 distinct castes across India as evidence that a single question in a general census cannot capture the necessary socioeconomic data. He urged the Prime Minister to halt the current process and adopt a more robust, state-led model to ensure the integrity of the data.