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Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Congress charts out next steps for caste census narrative, asks about timeframe
The caste census announcement by the Centre has come as a push for the Congress, which will discuss its next steps on the matter at a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet in Delhi on Friday. The party will also discuss the Pahalgam terror attack at the meeting. The Opposition party also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the caste census announcement, saying it provided a 'headline without a deadline'. Sources said the CWC was likely to pass resolutions seeking concrete action against Pakistan over the terror attack and allocation of funds to get the caste enumeration exercise conducted soon as part of the decadal Census. 'There is a meeting of the CWC at 4 pm on Friday. The most important issue is the Pahalgam attack and we will discuss that as it is the biggest political issue before the country. The country is waiting (for action) and those who have lost their family members are seeking justice,' the Congress's communications head Jairam Ramesh said. Ramesh said the Congress would also raise in Parliament the demand to remove the 50% quota cap. 'We want to discuss the road ahead for the party after the government's announcement. Caste census has been a long-standing demand of the Congress, which is why the government has made this announcement. But we want answers from the government regarding the timeline, budget, and the 50% cap on reservation,' said a highly placed source in the party. Referring to the Cabinet nod for the collection of caste data, Ramesh asked, 'Like what Rahul Gandhi said yesterday, 'headline toh de diya, lekin deadline kaha hai (you gave us the headline but what about the deadline)?'' Following the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, who has been among the most vocal advocates of a caste census, said the exercise was 'our vision' and that it was the 'first step' towards a 'new development paradigm'. Gandhi told reporters at the All India Congress Committee's Akbar Road office in Delhi, 'We had said in Parliament that we will get the caste census done. And we also said the 50% cap on reservation, the artificial wall, will be broken. What happened that, suddenly, Narendra Modi ji, who used to say that there are just four castes, announced the caste census? We fully support this. But we want a timeline and when it will be done. This is the first step. Telangana has become a model for the caste census.' Describing the Telangana census as 'detailed and granular' and pointing out that it was undertaken through an 'open process', Gandhi said the national census should 'follow some of the ideas' from the exercise in the Congress-ruled state. 'We are more than happy to help,' said Gandhi. The demand for a caste census has also been the centrepiece of the Congress's social justice agenda to reach out to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which have moved away from the party in the post-Mandal years and embraced the BJP under Modi. Naidu's Amaravati plan Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu 's capital project in Amaravati is taking off again. And it features a familiar guest: Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi will lay the foundation for Rs 49,040 crore worth of works in Amaravati and officially relaunch construction work in the capital city tomorrow. This is the second time Modi will launch projects in Amaravati, having laid the original foundation stone for the construction of the capital city in October 2015. The PM will address a public gathering afterwards. Naidu has asked leaders and cadre from the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP to be in attendance. Naidu said that both the Centre and the state are closely coordinating to make his Amaravati dream a reality, and that despite a financial crunch, several welfare and developmental programmes have been taken up in the 10 months of the TDP-led NDA coming to power. He said that revenue generated from Amaravati will be used to push more developmental works and welfare programmes. He called the capital a self-sustained project and said basic facilities will be provided in the next three years. Naidu said that land has been successfully pooled for the capital city, and that the farmers have given their land keeping in view the state's future. The CM also said that the Polavaram project will be completed by 2027 and that large-scale employment opportunities will be generated with the establishment of TCS in Visakhapatnam. Work on the construction of Bhogapuram airport is moving at a fast pace, he said, adding that LG Corporation is going to invest Rs 5,000 crore in the state.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
What next for Congress after Centre's caste census nod? CWC to meet tomorrow to discuss the road ahead
The Congress is planning a meeting of its Working Committee on Friday to discuss the government's announcement to include caste enumeration in the next Census and devise a strategy on how the party can 'own the narrative' on the issue, sources have told The Indian Express. Party insiders said the Congress Working Committee (CWC) was set to meet at 4 pm on Friday. 'We want to discuss the road ahead for the party after the government's announcement. Caste census has been a long-standing demand of the Congress, which is why the government has made this announcement. But we want answers from the government regarding the timeline, budget, and the 50% cap on reservation,' said a highly placed source in the party. Following the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, who has been among the most vocal advocates of a caste census, said the exercise was 'our vision' and that it was the 'first step' towards a 'new development paradigm'. He said the next steps should include lifting the 50% cap on reservation and implementing reservation in private educational institutions. Also Read | Why now? On sure footing, Govt changes course to take the big step, announces Caste Census Gandhi told reporters at the All India Congress Committee's Akbar Road office in Delhi, 'We had said in Parliament that we will get the caste census done. And we also said 50% cap on reservation, the artificial wall, will be broken. What happened that, suddenly, Narendra Modi ji, who used to say that there are just four castes, announced the caste census? We fully support this. But we want a timeline and when it will be done. This is the first step. Telangana has become a model for the caste census.' Describing the Telangana census as 'detailed and granular' and pointing out that it was undertaken through an 'open process', Gandhi said the national census should 'follow some of the ideas' from the exercise in the Congress-ruled state. 'We are more than happy to help,' said Gandhi. Since the announcement, the talk in the party has been about how it needs to 'own the narrative' on caste census and make sure 'people know that it was because of pressure from the Congress that the government caved to this demand'. The apprehension in Congress ranks is that, in one stroke, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have taken away one of its crucial poll planks. The LoP also said that the Congress had shown'we can pressure the government to do the caste census' and 'we will show that we can do the same for (Article) 15(5)'. The demand for a caste census has also been the centrepiece of the Congress's social justice agenda to reach out to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which have moved away from the party in the post-Mandal years and embraced the BJP under Modi.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: Caste census is back in focus, with an unexpected BJP move
When the BJP announced that it would include caste enumeration in the next Census, it came as both good and bad news for the main opposition Congress and particularly its leader Rahul Gandhi. The demand for a caste census has been the centerpiece of the Congress's social justice agenda to reach out to the OBCs, who have moved away from the party in the post-Mandal period and embraced the BJP since it came to power under Narendra Modi in 2014. At the recent AICC Session in Ahmedabad, the Congress spoke extensively about caste, projecting itself as a trailblazer in implementing reservations. The party's resolution said, 'History bears witness to the fact that when the Supreme Court struck down reservations in 1951, it was the Congress Government under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that enacted the first amendment to the Constitution and added Article 15(4) in the Chapter on Fundamental Rights. Henceforth, the path for reservation based social justice was forever safeguarded.' The apprehension within Congress ranks is that, in one stroke, Modi may have taken away one of its crucial planks. In fact, while announcing its decision on Wednesday to hold a caste census, the government slammed opposition parties for using it as a 'political tool'. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that while census comes under the purview of the Centre, some states had done caste enumeration in the name of surveys 'non-transparently' (a swipe at Congress-ruled Karnataka and Telangana, apart from Bihar). He added that it was under Congress governments that caste had not been included in Census operations conducted since Independence, showing that it was not really for a caste census but used the issue as a political tool. 'Considering all these facts and to ensure that the social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the Census instead of surveys,' he said, adding that this will strengthen the social and economic structure of society. The Congress is hoping to counter this by claiming the announcement as a vindication of its demand. All of its leaders, including Rahul in an evening press conference, have already started doing so. The ramifications of this move, how it will play out forward, and the larger caste politics in the country will dominate conversations going forward. The other Opposition parties will also take note of the Modi government's move. Among them, the Trinamool Congress has been against the idea of a caste census, though others are in favour. Whether the Congress along with them has the firepower to convince the people that the BJP government's decision came under sustained pressure from them will be the next test. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai on Thursday and Vizhinjam International Deepwater Multipurpose Seaport in Kerala on Friday. A statement said Modi will be on a tour of three states, including Andhra Pradesh, over the next two days. Modi will lay the foundation stone of and inaugurate multiple development projects worth over Rs 58,000 crore in Amaravati. He will also be addressing audiences at the events in the three states. Gujarat foundation days The Gujarat government will hold an official programme to celebrate the 65th state Foundation Day at Godhra in Panchmahal district on Thursday in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat, officials said.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Caste census: Has Modi govt pulled carpet from under it, or can Rahul, Congress claim ground?
The BJP government's surprise announcement to include caste enumeration in the overdue Census exercise is both good news and bad news for the main opposition Congress and particularly its leader Rahul Gandhi, who has led the demand for it for the past two years. In his words, a caste census is the required 'X-ray of resources' to deliver justice to Dalits, Adivasis and OBCs. The demand for a caste census has also been the centerpiece of the Congress's social justice agenda to reach out to the OBCs, who have moved away from the party in the post-Mandal period and embraced the BJP since it came to power under Narendra Modi in 2014. The Congress, especially Gandhi, believes the party can make an electoral comeback only if the backward classes return to it. At the CWC meeting held on the eve of the recent AICC Session in Ahmedabad, he mentioned Uttar Pradesh specifically regarding this. The apprehension within Congress ranks is that, in one stroke, Modi may have taken away one of its crucial planks. In fact, while announcing its decision on Wednesday to hold a caste census, the government slammed opposition parties for using it as a 'political tool'. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that while census comes under the purview of the Centre, some states had done caste enumeration in the name of surveys 'non-transparently' (a swipe at Congress-ruled Karnataka and Telangana, apart from Bihar). He added that it was under Congress governments that caste had not been included in Census operations conducted since Independence, showing that it was not really for a caste census but used the issue as a political tool. 'Considering all these facts and to ensure that the social fabric is not disturbed by politics, caste enumeration should be transparently included in the Census instead of surveys,' he said, adding that this will strengthen the social and economic structure of society. The Congress is hoping to counter this by claiming the announcement as a vindication of its demand. It was in April 2023 that Gandhi first raised the slogan of 'jitni aabadi, utna haq' or proportional representation, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections. As the BJP hit back by saying this meant that those with lower numbers would lose out under the Congress, the party moderated its stand later the same year. In a meeting held in October, the CWC didn't make an argument for proportional representation but passed a resolution that said, 'a nationwide caste census will reveal an accurate picture of the socio-economic position of communities across the country and provide a sound, data-driven basis for policies'. Gandhi, though, largely stuck to his line and added another layer – the need to breach a general 50% ceiling on reservation set by the Supreme Court. The Congress manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections promised two things – the party would conduct a nationwide Socio Economic and Caste Census to enumerate castes, sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions if voted to power; and that, based on it, would strengthen its affirmative action including passing a constitutional amendment to raise the 50% cap on reservations. In April last year during the election campaign, Gandhi said: 'As soon as we form the government… the first job would be holding a caste census… Don't think caste census is just caste survey… we will add economic and institutional surveys to that. It means the country will get to know… ki iss jaat main itne log hain, Dalit itne, Adivasi itne, gareeb, general caste itne… Unki aamdani itni hai aur Hindustan ke sansthaon mein inki itni bhagidari hai (that there are these many people in this caste, so many Dalits, Adivasis, poor and the upper castes. That this is their income and this is their share in the institutions of the country).' The Congress leader said: 'We will hold a financial and institutional survey after that. Yeh pata lagayenge ki Hindustan ka dhan kiske hathon mein hai, kaun se varg ke haath mein hai. Aur is aitihasik kadam ke baad hum krantikari kaam shuru karenge… Jo aapka haq banta jai, woh hum aapke liye aapko dene ka kaam karenge (We will find out who holds the country's wealth, what class of people. And after this historic step, we will take revolutionary measures… What is your right, we will ensure we get it for you).' PM Modi countered this saying the Congress was planning to 'redistribute wealth', playing up Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remarks on an inheritance tax on the wealthy, and made his famous mangalsutra jibe. 'The Shehzada of the Congress has promised 'X-ray' of people's wealth, meaning what is in the locker, the land, gold, silver, mangalsutra, etc., of the people. Woh kya kehte hain ki aapke paas jo hai, aapse lekar ke jiske paas nahin hai usko de diya jaayega. Matlab jo vote jihad karega, unko diya jaayega (So what they say is that what you have will be taken away from you and given to those who don't have it. This means it will be given to those who wage vote jihad),' Modi said. At the recent AICC Session in Ahmedabad, the Congress spoke extensively about caste, projecting itself as a trailblazer in implementing reservations. The party's resolution said, 'History bears witness to the fact that when the Supreme Court struck down reservations in 1951, it was the Congress Government under the leadership of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that enacted the first amendment to the Constitution and added Article 15(4) in the Chapter on Fundamental Rights. Henceforth, the path for reservation based social justice was forever safeguarded.' It also talked about the Congress-led government implementing the Mandal Commission report in 1993, and giving 27% reservation to OBCs. The resolution added: 'The Congress Party remains steadfast in our commitment to enact a Central law for the SC/ST Sub Plan and guarantee budgetary allocations in accordance with their population… The Congress Party reaffirms that the fundamental guarantee given under Article 15 (5) (introduced by the Congress on 20th January, 2006) of reservation for OBCs, SCs and STs in private educational institutions must be implemented without delay.' The other Opposition parties will also take note of the Modi government's move. Among them, the Trinamool Congress has been against the idea of a caste census, though others are in favour. Whether the Congress along with them has the firepower to convince the people that the BJP government's decision came under sustained pressure from them will be the next test.
