AHMEDABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday praised the Telangana government for successfully conducting a caste-based census, stating that the state has set a new precedent for the nation.
Speaking at the concluding session of the two-day All India Congress Committee (AICC) meeting in Ahmedabad, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha stressed the importance of understanding the issues of Dalits and tribals to address the country’s core challenges.
Rahul Gandhi said that a nationwide “X-ray” was essential to resolve India’s problems, and that justice for Dalits and tribals remained one of the most pressing concerns. He accused the central government of being unwilling to address the challenges faced by these communities.
The Congress leader highlighted that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had increased reservations for backward classes by passing a bill in the state assembly, which was then sent to the Centre. However, the Union government has taken no action on it so far.
Rahul Gandhi asserted that Telangana’s caste census had been carried out successfully and that the report is now being used as the basis for enhancing reservations. He argued that only through a caste-based survey can the true population of backward classes be determined. Telangana, he said, has shown the country a new path with its efforts.
He further called for removing the 50 percent cap on reservations and noted that backward classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes make up 90 percent of Telangana’s population but receive a disproportionately small share of the state’s income. He stressed the need to ensure their fair share in the state’s revenue based on population ratios.
Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the government was selling off public sector institutions to just two industrialists. Key sectors such as airports, mining, cement, and steel had been handed over to a single corporate entity, he claimed.
He also accused the BJP of electoral malpractice in Maharashtra and said that both the BJP and RSS were regularly violating the Constitution. Gandhi pointed out that the Prime Minister and the RSS rejected demands for a national caste census and accused the RSS of being opposed to secular values.
Referring to an incident in Rajasthan, he noted that a Dalit Pradesh Congress Committee leader was barred from entering a temple. He also labelled the Waqf Amendment Act as an attack on religious freedom.
तेलंगाना में हमने एक क्रांतिकारी कदम उठाया है और वो जातिगत जनगणना है। उससे पहले मैंने संसद में भी नरेंद्र मोदी से कहा था कि देश में जातिगत जनगणना होनी चाहिए।
सभी को पता होना चाहिए कि देश में कितने दलित, पिछड़े, आदिवासी, अल्पसंख्यक और गरीब सामान्य वर्ग के लोग हैं। इसके अलावा,… pic.twitter.com/ldTaA4OqUl
— Congress (@INCIndia) April 9, 2025
