Daijiworld Media Network – Sasaram

Sasaram, Aug 18: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday alleged that the Modi government announced a caste census only under political pressure and asserted that it would neither carry out a “true” caste census nor lift the 50 per cent cap on reservations.

Rahul made the remarks while launching the Voter Adhikar Yatra from Sasaram in poll-bound Bihar. The event saw the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, and Vikassheel Insaan Party chief Mukesh Sahani. CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, and CPI’s P Sandosh Kumar also joined the launch of Gandhi’s 1,300 km-long yatra.

“We had said in Parliament that we want a caste census and the 50 per cent reservation cap must go. I said this before Prime Minister Modi. Under pressure, the BJP and Narendra Modi announced a caste census, but I know they will not conduct a genuine exercise nor touch the cap,” Rahul said.

He added that the Congress and INDIA bloc would implement a caste census nationwide and ensure removal of the 50 per cent ceiling on reservations.

The Centre had in April announced that caste enumeration would be part of the next population census, marking the first inclusion of caste details since independence. However, the Opposition has raised doubts over the intent, scope, and timeline of the government’s plan.

The Voter Adhikar Yatra will traverse over 20 districts in Bihar as part of the Congress campaign against what it terms “vote chori”. The yatra began with Tejashwi Yadav driving a jeep carrying Rahul Gandhi, Mukesh Sahani, Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar, and Dipankar Bhattacharya.