New Delhi: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh has termed the Centre's decision to conduct a caste census "a victory for the crores of people of India". He added that when Rahul Gandhi said caste census is the "X-ray of society," the BJP "ridiculed him."
"When our leader Shri Rahul Gandhi ji said, 'Caste census is the X-ray of society,' Then the people in the ruling party ridiculed him, ignored him and procrastinated," Ramesh said in a post on X in Hindi.
Ramesh said that Rahul Gandhi had demanded a caste census for a long time, raising the issue repeatedly in Parliament, in public meetings.
"But for how long could the voice of rights of crores of people be suppressed? Now the Modi government has agreed to conduct caste census. Well, better late than never!" the Congress general secretary said.
"This is a decisive step towards ensuring social justice. This is the victory of crores of people of India. This is a victory for all those who have fought for equality, parity, and representation for years," he added.
On Wednesday, briefing the media about the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that some states have conducted caste surveys, and conducting a census falls within the domain of the central government.
He stated that the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) has decided today to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census.
Vaishnaw alleged that Congress governments "have always opposed caste census".
"Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singhji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a census. That survey is known as SECC," Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw said this will strengthen the social and economic structure of the society while the nation continues to progress.
"Under the leadership of PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that Caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that the government is committed to the values and interests of the society and the country," he said.
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