Congress Criticizes Government's 'Damp Squib' Census Notification

The Congress Party has expressed disappointment over the recent notification regarding India's 16th census, terming it a 'damp squib' due to its omission of caste inclusion. The notification merely reaffirms previous announcements, adding fuel to the opposition's criticisms.

Congress demands that the central government adopt the Telangana model, which not only incorporates caste enumeration but also details socio-economic parameters caste-wise. This call comes as the government remains silent on the inclusion of caste data, raising questions of yet another possible policy U-turn.

Jairam Ramesh, general secretary in-charge of communications for Congress, highlighted the party's role in pushing Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider the caste census, a proposal previously dismissed by the government in both Parliament and the Supreme Court.

(With inputs from agencies.)