"Modi Ji, Caste Census Data...": Rahul Gandhi On Political Representation

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for removing the 50 per cent cap on reservation for Other Backward Classes at a Karnataka election campaign speech in Kolar district, the same place where he made the "Modi surname" speech in 2019 that led to his conviction in a defamation case last month.

Mr Gandhi also challenged the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the data of the caste census started by the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2011. This will show whether Other Backward Classes (OBC), Dalits and adivasis don't have enough representation in the country's politics proportionate to their population, Mr Gandhi said.

"When we talk about Dalits, OBC, the people of India, what is the biggest question? The biggest question is which section has the highest population. If you see the number of secretaries in the government, only 7 per cent are OBC, adivasis and Dalits. The question is what is the population of OBC, adivasis and Dalits in the country before you talk about the distribution of wealth and political representation," Mr Gandhi said at the rally in Kolar, a mining region in Karnataka.

"The UPA government started caste-based census in 2011... It is important to know the population of every section to determine their political representation if you want to take everyone along on the path to development," Mr Gandhi said, adding the 50 per cent cap on reservation for SC/ST should be removed and kept proportionate to their population.

The BJP government does not want a caste-based census. It told the Supreme Court in September 2021 that such a census would be "administratively difficult and cumbersome" and excluding such information from the purview of the census was a "conscious policy decision".

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a tweet criticised Mr Gandhi for calling to increase reservation percentage at a time when the Congress itself in Karnataka wants to reverse it.

"While Karnataka Congress leaders want to reverse reservation, Rahul 'dropped' into Karnataka today and said he wants to breach SC (Supreme Court) limit on reservations and so the Congress politics of lies and promise and scoot continue. That is why voters chose BJP because we deliver what we promise," Mr Chandrasekhar said.

Mr Gandhi's call to breach the 50 per cent reservation cap, however, is an endorsement of the stand taken by other opposition parties such as Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the DMK. Tamil Nadu had already breached this ceiling in the 90s.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also yesterday indicated he would rework caste reservations once the caste count and socio economic survey exercise, which has been going on in Bihar, are released.

The BJP government in Karnataka, too, had passed a resolution to increase the quota and bring it under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution so that it is not subject to legal scrutiny.

"Modi ji, you should release the data of the caste census. Everything will become clear after that. If you don't do this, it is injustice to the OBC. You talk about the welfare of OBC, so show the nation how many of them are in the population and then explain why only 7 per cent secretaries in your government are OBC, adivasis and Dalits," Mr Gandhi said.

"The second important thing is the quota for SC/ST should be made proportional to their population. Third, the 50 per cent cap that you have put on reservation should be removed. Then let's talk who is doing great injustice to OBC," said the Congress leader who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha after his conviction in the "Modi surname" defamation case.

Voting in Karnataka is on May 10; votes will be counted three days later.