Kharge’s letter to Modi as Rahul Gandhi dares on caste census

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking him for a comprehensive up-to-date caste census, the same day Rahul Gandhi dared the top BJP leader to release the 2011 caste-based census data in the public domain.

In the letter, Kharge said the UPA government has conducted a Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) during 2011-12 but the data could not be published “even though Congress and other MPs demanded its release after your government came to power in May 2014.”

“In the absence of an updated Caste Census, I am afraid a reliable data base so very essential for meaningful social justice and empowerment programmes, particularly for OBCs, is incomplete. This Census is the responsibility of the Union Government,” the veteran Congress leader said.

“I would also like to point out that the regular decennial Census was to be carried out in 2021 but it has not yet been conducted. We demand that it be done immediately and that a comprehensive Caste Census be made its integral part,” he added.

Addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar, Rahul Gandhi claimed there are only 7 per cent other backward castes, Dalits and tribals as secretaries in the central government and demanded the 50 per cent cap on reservation be removed.

“UPA in 2011 did the caste-based census. It has the data of all the castes. Mr Prime Minister, you talk of OBCs. Make that data public. Let the nation know how many OBCs, Dalits and tribals are there in the country,” Gandhi said at the Congress’ ‘Jai Bharat’ election rally in Kolar in the run-up to the May 10 Karnataka polls.

“Please release the caste census data so that the nation knows how much is the population of OBCs, Dalits and tribals. If you don’t do this, then it is an insult to the OBCs. Also, remove the cap of 50 per cent on reservations,” Gandhi said.