Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 9: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi announced on Monday that the Chief Ministers of the states governed by the party have collectively made a significant move by opting to initiate a caste census in their respective states. He described this step as a ‘historic decision’.
Gandhi stated during a press conference that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had a four-hour meeting earlier in the day to discuss the caste census.
“A historic decision has been taken by [the] CWC collectively… Our Chief Ministers have decided that they will conduct a caste census in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh,” Gandhi said at the press conference.
He expressed that this decision marks a highly “progressive” measure aimed at the empowerment of underprivileged individuals in the nation.
Gandhi added that the choice was taken to help India’s economically underprivileged citizens rather than out of consideration for caste or religion.
When questioned about whether the INDIA bloc supports the Congress’s stance on the caste census, Gandhi stated that a significant portion of the opposition coalition parties is in favour of the concept. He continued by saying that while some parties could object, the Congress does not. “We are flexible [and] not a fascist party,” he added.
He stated that a new paradigm for Indian development will be made possible by the caste census.
