In a letter to PM Modi on caste census, Mallikarjun Kharge gives 3 suggestions

The Opposition party said in the CWC meeting that the caste census must have a timeline and reiterated its demand for lifting the 50 per cent quota cap. According to sources, Congress leaders discussed making sure that the BJP-led government “doesn’t steal the narrative” on the issue.

Before mentioning his suggestions, Kharge pointed out that he had written to the Prime Minister on April 16, 2023, putting forward the Congress’s demand for an up-to-date caste census, but he never received any reply to that 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. You have now announced, without providing any details, that the next Census (that was actually due in 2021) will include caste as a separate category as well. I have three suggestions for your consideration,” Kharge wrote in the letter.

In his first suggestion, Kharge has said that the design of the census questionnaire is crucial and the Union Home Ministry must draw upon the Telangana model — both the methodology adopted for finalising the questionnaire, as well as the final set of questions asked. Kharge wrote that the caste census has to be collected not for counting purposes but for achieving larger socio-economic objectives. “The recently-concluded Telangana caste survey was designed and implemented with such goals in mind,” Kharge added.

जातिगत जनगणना पर प्रधानमंत्री @narendramodi जी को मेरा पत्र

पत्र के कुछ अंश साझा कर रहा हूँ, पूरा पत्र संलग्न है —

मैंने 16 अप्रैल 2023 को आपको पत्र लिखकर भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस द्वारा जातिगत जनगणना कराने की मांग आपके समक्ष रखी थी। अफ़सोस की बात है कि मुझे उस पत्र का कोई… pic.twitter.com/FAeZ0jkAfY

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 6, 2025

In another suggestion, Kharge said that whatever the results of the caste census will be, it is abundantly clear that the arbitrarily imposed 50 per cent ceiling on reservations for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs must be removed by a constitutional amendment.

Kharge added that Article 15(5) was introduced in the Constitution with effect from January 20, 2006. This was subsequently challenged in the Supreme Court, and upheld by the top court after prolonged deliberations on January 29, 2014, very shortly before the Model Code of Conduct for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections came into effect. It provides for reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs in private educational institutions as well. This should be implemented, Kharge added.

Kharge further wrote that conducting any exercise such as the caste census, which gives the backward, the oppressed, and the marginalised sections of 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 added.

“The Indian National Congress believes that conducting the caste census in a comprehensive manner suggested above is absolutely necessary to ensure social and economic justice and equality of status and opportunity as pledged in the Preamble of our Constitution,” Kharge added.