Rahul Gandhi: The row over the caste census in India has reached new heights with Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, directly challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue. While speaking at the Samvidhan Samman Samaroh in Prayagraj on August 24, he said that the caste census was not merely an exercise for statistics; it was a measure toward informed policy-making and ensured fair representation.
Congress Amplifies Caste Census Demand Through Social Media Campaign
The Congress party has now escalated its demand for a caste census by launching an effective social media campaign. According to one of the posters available on the official account of the Congress party on the micro-blogging platform X, this survey embodies the “Mann Ki Baat” of the country. It pointed out that now, 74 percent of people have raised their voices in support of conducting a caste census. He said that understanding the population distribution within ambit of different castes holds the key towards building up equal opportunities for participation in national development.
Rahul Gandhi Warns of Consequences for Inaction
Reacting to the mounting demand for a caste census, Rahul Gandhi retweeted the Congress poster that posed a direct challenge to PM Modi. He said categorically, “Modi ji, if you are thinking of halting the caste census, then you are daydreaming—no power can now stop it!” Gandhi had driven home a strong stake, asserting that the public is overwhelmingly on the side of the caste census and any kind of obstruction to this is not going to work. He also cautioned that if this incumbent regime could not take action, the next Prime Minister would be forced to take up this highly crucial matter.
The Caste Census Debate Intensifies
For the first time in history, activist-intellectuals are joining hands to argue that this time, it is different. Providing a different view to the protests against the CAA-NPR-NRC, Gandhi’s comments reflect a fast-growing public campaign for a caste census, which will ensure an instrument of transparency that recognizes and guarantees representation and rights to the communities who have been at the margins hitherto.
Demanding a caste census has become a significant political issue, with the Congress party seeking to place itself as the champion of this cause in opposition to the stand of the BJP. As the debate continues, the demand for a caste census remains one of the contentious issues in Indian politics, reflective of deeper issues of social justice and representation.
