Kharge hails Rahul Gandhi as Centre bows to demand for caste census

The J&K Pradesh Congress Committee passed a resolution hailing Rahul Gandhi and party leaders for successfully pushing the Centre to agree to a caste survey

After the central government on Wednesday announced the inclusion of caste enumeration in the next census, Congress party president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday credited Rahul Gandhi with what is being widely seen as the government's climbdown on the issue.

 

“Rahul Gandhi has proved that if we raise people's issues honestly, this stubborn government has to bow down,” Kharge said at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee.

 

“Timing chosen by the government to accept our demand for caste census has surprised us and also raised apprehensions," he added, saying “We have to remain alert to take the issue of caste census to its logical conclusion.”

 

Kharge also attacked the central government over the Pahalgam attack, saying it has not come up with any clear strategy. “Even several days after the Pahalgam attack, no clear strategy has come from the government,” he said.

 

The Congress' Jammu and Kashmir unit on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution congratulating Gandhi, who is Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and the party leadership over its successful struggle for a caste survey. Gandhi's efforts forced the government to accept the Congress' long-standing demand for a caste survey, the resolution read.

 

"A unanimous resolution was adopted in a meeting to express gratitude to the Congress leadership, especially Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, for the success of the struggle to pressure the government to concede to the demand for a caste census," Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said. 

 

The resolution, moved by Sharma and seconded by PCC working president Tara Chand and former minister Raman Bhalla, was adopted unanimously amid slogans hailing Gandhi and Kharge. Bhalla also called for a fixed timeline to complete the exercise.

 

Chand said Gandhi's struggle had borne fruit, compelling the union government to accept the Congress' demand to enumerate caste as part of the census exercise.

 

"The entire credit for this goes to Gandhi and the Congress. Now, the party demands that the caste census be completed within a fixed timeframe so that its benefits reach the common man at the earliest," he told reporters.

 

The resolution also strongly condemned Pakistan for the unprovoked firing along the border and the Line of Control (LoC) and urged party cadres and district presidents in border areas to remain in constant touch with the people and the administration and keep a close watch on activities in those areas.

 

(With inputs from agencies)