Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Monday that the party’s working committee has taken a historic decision in favor of the idea of caste-based census.
After the working committee meeting, Rahul also told reporters that most of the constituents of the opposition alliance ‘India’ are in favor of caste-based census.
He said, ‘The working committee took a historic decision. With everyone’s consent it was decided to support the idea of caste-based census”.
Rahul said that Congress will put strong pressure on BJP for caste census.
The Congress leader said, “This is not a political decision, but a decision of justice.” He also alleged that BJP is ‘incompetent’ in conducting caste based census. The former Congress president also claimed that BJP does not work for the OBC class, but tries to divert their attention.
He said that caste based census is like an ‘X-ray’ which will help in knowing the condition of OBC and other classes. Rahul Gandhi asked why BJP does not want this ‘X-ray’?
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met here on Monday in which caste-based census and electoral strategy for the upcoming assembly elections of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram and some other issues were discussed.
The meeting was attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and many senior party leaders.
The working committee meeting has taken place at a time when leaders of some opposition parties are facing action from central agencies.
The latest action in this regard is the arrest of Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh in the Delhi Excise Policy case.
The Congress has condemned the arrest of Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh, but criticized similar action taken against its leaders in Punjab, where the Aam Aadmi Party is in power.
Congress farmers unit chief Sukhpal Khaira has been arrested in a drug-related case in Punjab.
This was the second meeting of the reconstituted working committee after Kharge became Congress President.
The last meeting of the Congress Working Committee was held on 16 and 17 September in Hyderabad.
This was the first meeting after the reconstitution of the Working Committee. In that meeting, Congress had resolved to ensure ideological and electoral success to the initiative of the opposition alliance ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ (India).
The party had also said that it wants to ensure that the country is free from divisive and polarizing politics and the people get a transparent, accountable and responsible central government.
In the resolution passed in the last meeting of the Working Committee, the demand for caste census was also raised and it was said that the existing maximum limit of reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC) should be increased.
After the meeting, a 14-point resolution was passed, in which inflation, unemployment, state of the economy, problems of farmers, border dispute with China, matters related to Adani Group and many other issues were mentioned.
Congress had reconstituted its working committee on August 20, which includes party president Mallikarjun Kharge along with many senior leaders including former president Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi.
39 members, 32 permanent invitee members and 13 special invitee members have been included in the working committee.
In this, leaders like Sachin Pilot and Shashi Tharoor have got a place for the first time.
