Poll-Bound Rajasthan To Conduct Caste Census On Lines Of Bihar, Says CM Gehlot

In a bid to propel Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's continuous call for a caste census in the country, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot announced to conduct a similar census in the poll-bound state.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday announced to conduct caste census in the poll-bound state on the lines of Bihar, days after CM Nitish Kumar-led government released the data of the caste survey in Bihar. Addressing the media after a meeting in Jaipur, CM Gehlot said Rahul Gandhi had talked about the same during the Raipur session and the caste census would be done on the same basis. Gehlot said the outcome of the census would help the government in making the policy for different sections of society.

"Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made the caste census system in the Raipur session of Congress, and we will do it here on the basis of the same. Rajasthan government will also conduct a caste census like Bihar. We will take the concept that there should be participation of the people as per their population. Instructions will be given to conducting caste-based census on the lines of Bihar," CM Gehlot said.

The Bihar government, on October 2, released the report of the caste-based survey conducted in the state. The Congress is an ally of the government in Bihar.

Emphasising the importance of a caste-based census, Gehlot said, "When we talk about social security, it can be implemented only when we know what the situation is caste-wise. There are different castes living in the country who do different jobs, when we know how much population each caste has, then we can make special schemes for them."

He said that the Supreme Court has also given its comments on the matter and hence the state government will soon release a notification of the same.

The apex court on Friday refused to restrain the Bihar government from releasing the caste survey data and said that it cannot stop a government from taking a policy decision.

This comes after Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday asserted if Congress is re-elected to power in the state of Chhattisgarh, a caste census will be conducted in the state, similar to the one carried out in Bihar.

"I announce that if Congress repeats government in Chhattisgarh, then like Bihar, we will also hold caste census in the state," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said at a public event in poll-bound Chhattisgarh's Kanker.