Now Reading: Rahul Gandhi warns Modi govt over OBC caste census demand
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Rahul Gandhi warns Modi govt over OBC caste census demand
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has warned that the OBC community could adopt Gen Z-style protests to pressure the Narendra Modi government on the caste census. Speaking at an OBC department programme on Monday, Gandhi asked: 'What if the OBC community takes the path of Gen Z?' He claimed the government initially dismissed caste census demands as coming from 'urban Naxals' and only agreed after sustained political pressure.
Gandhi questioned whether the caste enumeration exercise would accurately capture OBC representation, noting that separate provisions exist for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes but not for OBCs. The government has said caste enumeration will be included in Census 2027, with the second phase covering population enumeration. The Centre announced the decision in April 2025, and the Ministry of Home Affairs said in February 2026 that caste questions would be finalised before that phase begins.
The Congress has made caste enumeration central to its social justice campaign. The BJP has countered that the Modi government itself took the decision and accused the Congress of politicising the issue. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said the decision represents a commitment to social equity.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The caste census demand has been a long-standing political issue. The last full caste census was conducted in 1931 under British rule, and OBC groups have argued for decades that their population share is undercounted, affecting reservation quotas and welfare allocations. The 2027 census will be India's first digital census, with electronic data collection for caste. A key question remains whether the data will be made public or kept confidential, as past governments have resisted releasing raw caste numbers. Watch for the final notification of the caste questionnaire, expected before the population enumeration phase begins.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
