NuzTube INDIA
New Delhi — A day after the Union Cabinet announced that caste data will be collected in the upcoming national Census, a large poster outside the Congress headquarters in Delhi credited Rahul Gandhi for pushing the government into making the landmark decision.
The poster, put up by Congress youth leader Srinivas BV, featured a bold quote attributed to Gandhi: “We said Modi ji would have to get a caste Census done. We will get it done. The world bows down—you need someone to make it bow down.” Rahul Gandhi, currently the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, has been a vocal advocate for a nationwide caste census, arguing it would enable better affirmative action and social justice.
In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused Congress of politicizing the issue. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the Centre aims to ensure a transparent and inclusive enumeration through the official Census, not through isolated surveys. “This will strengthen our social and economic structure,” he said.
Following the Cabinet’s announcement, Rahul Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter), reaffirming the Congress’s long-standing demand and vision for a transparent and inclusive caste Census, claiming credit for influencing the Modi government’s move. “Everyone must know who holds what share in power and institutions,” he wrote, celebrating the win as a collective effort by activists and citizens.
However, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan pushed back, accusing Congress of hypocrisy. “Jawaharlal Nehru was strongly against caste-based reservation,” he said, accusing both Nehru and Indira Gandhi of suppressing the issue during their tenures. He also reminded the public that the Mandal Commission—established in 1977 by the Janata Party—was backed by BJP stalwarts like Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, while the Congress later shelved its recommendations.
Pradhan concluded, “Those who opposed it back then are now claiming credit. The country deserves to know the truth.”
