Congress Accuses PM Modi of Withholding Caste Census Details

Congress General Secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, has raised concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's lack of mention of a caste census in the recent population census notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Ramesh posed the question, "Has the Prime Minister changed his mind?" as he highlighted discrepancies in the budget allocations for the upcoming census.

According to the notification, the census will commence in late October 2026 for certain regions, and March 2027 for the rest of the country. Ramesh criticized the inadequate budget, citing the Rs 9,000 to Rs 10,000 crore estimate required for a normal census, compared to the Rs 575 crore allocation for 2025-26. He also noted the BJP's historical resistance to reservation policies.

Ramesh emphasized the Congress's call for a nationwide adoption of the Telangana model for comprehensive socio-economic caste data collection, stating it's not just about enumeration, but assessing backwardness and representation. The Ministry of Home Affairs' notification scheduled the census dates, while the INDIA bloc welcomed the inclusion of caste enumeration for transparency.

(With inputs from agencies.)