New Delhi: The Congress Working Committee has unanimously endorsed a call for caste census at a meeting held today. The party alleged that India is the only G20 nation which is yet to conduct such a census, declaring it a "matter of shame". It also accused the BJP of "cheating" the country's deprived sections by not releasing the data of the 2011 Socio Economic and Caste Census and not carrying out a fresh census.
"It (the government) has also failed in its Constitutional duty by inordinately postponing the decadal Census that ought to have been conducted in 2021 or soon thereafter," read a resolution of the Working Committee, the party's highest decision-making body.
Sources said the initiative was of Rahul Gandhi, who in an address later, said the INDIA bloc will "put pressure on the BJP to conduct this". The Prime Minister, Mr Gandhi said, is "shying away" but the conduction of a caste census does not depend on him.
"This is not a political decision. This is a decision for providing justice to the downtrodden... Litmus tests work in chemistry, not in politics. We are promising caste census because we sincerely believe in it," he added.
"I am one hundred per cent with the caste census and we must get it done," added Sonia Gandhi, who headed the party till last year.
Her successor, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, said the party has consistently raised its demand for a nationwide caste-based census. The demand has gained widespread public support especially after the Bihar Government's release of caste survey.
"For proper implementation and delivery of government programmes and welfare schemes, it is important that we have scientific socio-economic data of the marginalised sections including their numbers, representation, and economic and social condition. Thus, it becomes important that we must deliberate upon the issue of Caste-based Census," he said.
The Congress decision came as the Election Commission announced the dates for election in five states. Three of them – Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh – lie in the heartland where caste-based politics dominates.
The Congress, which cautiously held back the 2011 caste report, has been vocal over a census over the last months, declaring it is the way forward to a proper and equitable social welfare schemes.
In April, Mr Kharge had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking implementation of a caste census. Having proper caste-wise data will help governments implement welfare and social security schemes better, he said.