Cong leadership hails Telangana caste census

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leadership, including party president Mallikarjun Kharge and the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday hailed and congratulated the Telangana government for carrying out the meaningful and broad-based caste census in the state.

Addressing a function after the presentation of the census details on the ‘Telangana Socio, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political & Caste Survey 2024,’ Congress president Kharge said that the Telangana state had provided a new direction to the entire country. He said it was really a courageous step by Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to carry out the caste census, as there could always be some resistance from certain quarters. Kharge called for unity between the Backwards, the SCs, and the minorities. He said once they come together socially and politically and support the Congress, the party may get ‘more than 50... 60-70 percent support across the country’.

The Congress president had special praise for Rahul Gandhi, saying that it was he who not only raised the issue of the caste census, but also gave the slogan of ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidan’ to save the Constitution.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Gandhi congratulated Revanth Reddy, saying that he had exceeded his expectations by carrying out a detailed and in-depth caste census in the state. “This will define how the caste census is done,” he said.

The LoP explained how the caste census was done in an elaborate manner and not within closed bureaucratic rooms.

He said power in the 21st century is defined and determined in terms of data. “The Telangana government now possesses the comprehensive data with which it can carry out targeted development and reach out to every single person in the state. No other state in India today has the ability to target development the way Telangana has.”