CWC meeting: Noting that the party had extended all possible support to the Centre in the fight against terrorism at the last CWC meeting, Kharge said no clear strategy had come from the government yet.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress president, on Friday (May 2) said the central government had not come out with any clear strategy to deal with the situation arising out of the Pahalgam terror attack, even as he asserted that the entire opposition was with the Centre on the issue. In his address at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in the national capital, Kharge also said the govt had accepted the party’s demand for a ‘caste survey’, but the timing really surprised us.
He, however, raised doubts over the government’s intentions and asked party leaders to remain alert to take the caste survey to a logical conclusion. Noting that the party had extended all possible support to the Centre in the fight against terrorism at the last CWC meeting, Kharge said no clear strategy had come from the government even several days after the Pahalgam attack.
The Congress president credited former party chief Rahul Gandhi for the government’s decision to conduct a caste survey, saying the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha had again proved that if “we raise the issues of the people with honesty, the government has to bow down”.
Gandhi had met family members of Shubham Dwivedi in Kanpur and demanded that the government give martyr status and respect to the deceased, he noted. “We will unitedly and strictly act against any challenge that comes in the way of the country’s unity, integrity and prosperity. The entire opposition is with the government on this issue. We have given this message to the whole world,” Kharge said.
Here are key pointers of Mallikarjun Kharge’s opening statement at CWC meeting:
1. After the Pahalgam terrorist attack, an urgent meeting of the CWC was held on April 24. In that, we passed a resolution and said that we will give all possible support to the government in the fight against terrorism and in teaching a lesson to the terrorists.
2. But even after several days of this incident (Pahalgam attack), no clear strategy has come from the government.
3. Rahul Gandhi met the family of Shubham Dwivedi in Kanpur and demanded that the government give martyr status and respect to the deceased.
4. Whatever challenge comes in the way of the unity, integrity and prosperity of the country, we will deal with it strictly together. The entire opposition is with the government on this issue. We have given this message to the whole world.
5. Friends, in the meantime, the Modi government has decided to conduct a caste census along with the Census.
6. For this, first of all I congratulate Rahul Gandhi, who constantly raised this issue and forced the government to decide on caste census. You turned it into a powerful campaign in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. And social justice became the most important issue of the 18th Lok Sabha elections.
7. Rahul Gandhi has again proved that if we raise people’s issues with honesty, then the government has to bow down. After the withdrawal of the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill and the three black farmer laws, caste census has also been added to this series, in which a stubborn government has had to bow down once again.
8. Congress state governments have completed the process of caste survey in Telangana and Karnataka and have started implementing it in government schemes.
9. In the AICC Session in Gujarat, we also passed a resolution on April 9, 2025, reiterating our demand. We also demanded the removal of the 50 per cent ceiling. The work of removing the ceiling will be done through a constitutional amendment.
10. The government accepted our years-old demand for a caste census, but the time chosen surprised us as well as shocked us. Many doubts have arisen in our hearts about the language and sentiment with which many things were said.
11. When I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister on April 16, 2023 and demanded this, the government was totally against it. Then how did the change of heart happen suddenly?
12. The government opposed our demand on every platform. It was called divisive and URBAN NAXAL. From Modi to RSS leaders, everyone criticised it during the state elections. Slogans like ‘If we divide, we will be cut off’ were given.
13. We need to tell people that the entire process of 2011 Caste census that began in UPA 2 ended on 31 March 2016. The government itself admitted this in response to a Rajya Sabha question in 2022. Then it is foolish if not naive to expect us to publish incomplete data in 2014.
14. We would like to say that we are happy that he understood our point, albeit late. There is an old saying, better late than never!
15. In the 2024 elections, Congress had talked about conducting a comprehensive social, economic and caste census to know the population, socio-economic condition of all castes and communities, their share in national wealth and their representation in institutions related to governance. It is our view that this will X-ray the society.
16. We remained firm on this demand. As the main opposition party, we constantly raised this demand in the Save Constitution campaigns.
17. Rahul Gandhi continuously demanded this in his every speech inside and outside the Parliament. All our colleagues took this matter forward. That is why I congratulate all of you for this.
18. But for us this is not an issue of victory or defeat or politics. Congress has always been fighting against the socio-economic backwardness and poverty of the country. This remains a part of our political agenda.
19. Two months before the caste census of 1931, Mahatma Gandhi wrote an editorial in YOUNG INDIA and said – “Just as we get medical tests done from time to time to check our body, census is the most important test of any nation.”
20. Gandhi had also said that – “Census is useful only when the government uses the necessary information for the betterment.”
21. So of course the government has accepted our demand of conducting caste census. But now we also have to ensure that this caste census is done in the right manner. Whatever results come out of this, they should also be implemented. Policies and laws should be made according to them.
22. The Modi government did not conduct the census of 2021. Even today all government work is being done on the data of the 2011 census.
23. The Modi government kept postponing the work of caste census due to the anti-reservation thinking of the RSS. But now when the public started joining the Congress Party and allied parties on this issue, it was not possible for Modi ji to postpone it any longer.
24. But many questions still remain, from the budget to the government’s policy and intentions. Therefore, we have to remain alert until this is brought to fruition.
25. The government is trying to mislead people on this issue. Today, its top leaders in Bihar are trying to give the credit for this to BJP and Prime Minister Modi by holding press conferences in every district and are calling the Congress party itself against the caste census.
26. Therefore, we have to formulate our strategy. If necessary, we should take our allies along and hold a public meeting at the national level or state level as appropriate or consider holding a press conference across the country.
27. On this very topic, the AICC Communication Department held a detailed 90-minute press conference on May 1. If you wish, you can hold press conferences in the states based on this information.
28. Now, many issues will be raised politically, for which we have to be prepared. We have to ensure that the caste census and after that, all our demands are fulfilled properly.
