'Why No Caste Drop-down Menu?': Congress Accuses PM Modi Of 'Sabotaging' Census
'Why No Caste Drop-down Menu?': Congress Accuses PM Modi Of 'Sabotaging' Census
M.U.H
19/08/202622
New Delhi: The Congress party on Tuesday accused the Narendra Modi-led government of sabotaging the caste census and questioned why the 2027 Census does not have a drop-down menu for selecting castes, despite the Centre recommending such a system in its affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in September 2021.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that Prime Minister Modi made a "complete U-turn" on April 30, 2025, by announcing a caste census, only to now perform a "U-turn on his earlier U-turn".
The Congress leader's remarks came amid ongoing preparations for the 2027 Census, which is expected to include caste enumeration.
In a post on X, Ramesh referred to an affidavit filed by the Modi government in the Supreme Court on September 21, 2021, in which the Centre had opposed a plea seeking a caste census.
Sharing a copy of the affidavit, the Congress leader said, "On September 21, 2021, the Modi Govt had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court categorically rejecting the plea for a caste census."
However, he pointed to a section of the affidavit which said that it would have been ideal to have a caste registry with a drop-down menu for selecting castes, as this could provide consistent data that could be relied upon.
"Para 12 (d) in the affidavit says the following: There was no registry of caste prepared prior to the conduct of 2011 Census. It would have been ideal for the Registry of Castes that there should have been given a drop-down menu for selection of the castes which could have made some consistent data available which can be relied upon," he mentioned in the post.
Ramesh questioned why the same system was not being included in the 2027 Census. "Why does Census 2027 NOT have this drop down menu that the Modi Government recommended in the affidavit it submitted to the Supreme Court in September 2021?" he asked.
He said similar caste-selection menus were prepared before caste surveys in Bihar and Telangana, while pointing out that Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge had also suggested such a system in a letter to PM Modi on May 5, 2025.
Ramesh further alleged that the government's approach shows that it wants to undermine the caste census. He also accused PM Modi of making a "complete U-turn" on the issue by announcing on April 30, 2025, that a caste census would be conducted, after previously opposing the demand.
"The Modi Govt wants to simply sabotage the caste census. The PM had made a complete U-turn on April 30, 2025 and announced that a caste census - which he had earlier attacked as an 'urban naxal' idea - would take place," the Congress leader criticised.
"Now he (PM Modi) has done another U-turn on his earlier U-turn and without saying so has buried the idea of a caste census," Ramesh said, calling the Prime Minister an "U-turn ustad".
