New Delhi, May 6
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census.
Kharge shared the letter on his X handle on Tuesday.
In the May 5 letter, Kharge has put forth his three suggestions for the PM’s consideration on the issue of caste census.
The first point says the design of the census questionnaire is crucial. “The Union Home Ministry must draw upon the Telangana model - both the methodology adopted for finalizing the questionnaire, as well the final set of questions asked.”
The second point says, “Whatever the results of the caste census will be, it is abundantly clear that the arbitrarily imposed 50% ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs must be removed by a Constitutional amendment.”
The third point says, “Article 15(5) was introduced in the Constitution of India with effect from 20th January 2006. This was subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court. Finally, it was upheld by the Supreme Court after prolonged deliberations on 29th January 2014, very shortly before the model code of conduct for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections went into effect.”
Kharge said the Article “provides for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs in private educational institutions as well. This should be implemented.”
He said conducting any exercise, such as the caste census, which gives the backward, the oppressed and the marginalised sections of our society their rights, cannot and should not be considered divisive in any way.
“Our great nation and our large-hearted people have always come together as one whenever needed, just as we have done after the recent cowardly terrorist attacks in Pahalgam,” he wrote in the letter.
Kharge said Congress believes that conducting the caste census in a comprehensive manner suggested above, is necessary to ensure social and economic justice and equality of status and opportunity as pledged in the Preamble of our Constitution.
“I trust my suggestions will receive your serious consideration. In fact, I would request you to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census,” wrote Kharge in the letter.
The Congress president also complained in the letter that he had written to the PM earlier, but got no response so far.
“I had written to you on April 16, 2023, putting forward the Indian National Congress’s demand for an up-to-date caste census. Regrettably, I never received any reply to this letter. Unfortunately, your party leaders and yourself went on to attack the INC and its leadership for raising this legitimate demand, which you today acknowledge is in the interests of deeper social justice and empowerment,” Kharge said.
He also said that the caste census has been announced, “without providing any details, that the next Census (that was actually due in 2021) will include caste as a separate category as well”.
