Congress sets 3-Condition after Modi Nod to Caste Census
Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge while addressing a public meeting in Karnataka on Thursday (image credit @Kharge X)
Congress Races to Keep Madal Politics Alive After Caste Census Approval
By Amit Kumar
Bengaluru, May 1, 2025 – The Congress has set three conditions after the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs greenlit caste census in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. By setting three conditions, the Congress has made it clear that the party will not be yielding the political plank of caste census.
Congress President Mallikarjuna Kharge laid out three key demands to the Centre, while addressing a public meeting in Karnataka on Thursday. Striking an aggressive posture, Kharge spelt out three demands – undertaking a Caste Census, implementing Article 15(5) to ensure advancement of backward communities, and raising the 50% reservation cap to include SC/ST/OBC and Economically Weaker Sections.
“If these demands are not met, people will be forced to take to the streets to fight for their rights,” Kharge warned.
Stepping up pressure on the Centre, the Congress made it clear that the politics over caste census will not pause till the census is done. Political commentators claimed that Modi by approving the caste census sought to freeze the Madal politics.
But the Congress seems to have signalled going extra distance to further build pressure on the Centre. By spelling out what the Centre should do after caste enumeration, the Congress is also seen setting the Madal agenda of the Indian politics.
Kharge on Thursday asserted that India’s development is inextricably linked to the empowerment of SC/ST and OBC communities. He was addressing civic workers at the Poura Karmikara Dinacharane event, organised by the Government of Karnataka and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.
In his keynote speech, Kharge highlighted the Congress-led Karnataka government’s efforts in supporting sanitation workers, announcing that services of 12,692 Poura Karmikas had been regularised.
“We are committed to extending this regularisation to workers across other local bodies as well,” he affirmed.
Touching on the issue of caste-based inequality, Kharge emphasised the need for a comprehensive Caste Census. “During Dr Manmohan Singh ji’s tenure, we initiated the Socio-Economic Caste Census in 2010. But the BJP never released that report,” he said, accusing the Modi government of ignoring past appeals.
“I wrote to the PM in 2023 urging for the inclusion of caste data in the general census. That too was ignored—until now, when they want to take credit,” he remarked.
The Congress has gone aggressive since yesterday to block the BJP attempt to own up the authorship to the caste census. By harping on demands for breaking the 50% reservation ceiling, the Congress seems keen to take pole position in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
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