New Delhi [India], May 1 (ANI): Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Thursday described the Centre's decision to include caste-based census with national census as a 'victory' for the persistent efforts of party leader Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.

He accused the BJP of attempting to delay the process but said Congress remained committed to ensuring justice for every section of society.

'This is the victory of Rahul Gandhi. This is the victory of the proposal passed by Mallikarjun Kharge on April 9... BJP is still not revealing the deadline. It is a ground reality that they have to do the caste census... They are still trying to run away from this, but Congress is resolved to bring justice to every section of the society... I believe this is the victory of the tireless efforts of Congress...,' he said.

Caste enumeration was a regular feature of census exercises during British rule from 1881 to 1931. However, after independence, the practice was discontinued except for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The last attempt at collecting caste data at a national level was in 2011 through the Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), but the findings were never fully released or utilized.

Responding to criticism from BJP leaders who accused Congress of failing to conduct a caste census while in power and using the issue for political gain, Tiwari hit back sharply.

'They should send their address, I would send the cutting of the statement made by Kharge ji and Rahul ji in parliament demanding caste based census, they should read it and put in their homes. And their minister also had made a statement in parliament that they don't intend to conduct a caste census,' he said.

Meanwhile, echoing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's call for a clear roadmap and timeline for the caste enumeration in the forthcoming census, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for just providing a 'headline without a deadline.'

'Like what Rahul Gandhi said yesterday, 'headline toh de diya, lekin deadline kaha hai?' Our PM is an expert in giving headlines without deadlines. He said that caste will be involved, and Rahul Gandhi asked for a roadmap for it... We have been asking for it for the last six years,' he said.

Addressing a press conference, Ramesh questioned the government's intent and preparedness, pointing to inadequate budget allocations for the operation and a lack of clarity on implementation details.

He highlighted discrepancies in funding, noting that the budget allocated to the census commissioner's office for this year was Rs 575 crore, which contradicts PM Modi's 2019 claim of requiring Rs 8254 crore for the national census.

'In 2025-26, the census commissioner's office in the Home Ministry, which has been given the responsibility of conducting the caste census, was allocated Rs 575 crore in the budget. But on 24 December 2019, PM Narendra Modi's government said that Rs 8254 crore is required for the national census... So, what is the purpose and the intent? Only a headline? No details. No Budget... This is the reality,' he stated.

Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. (ANI)