Breaking: Congress Questions Caste Census Process, Seeks OBC Column and Bihar-Telangana Model

A fresh political battle has erupted over India’s ongoing Census and caste enumeration process, with the Congress raising questions about the existing questionnaire and data collection method. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the current process has shortcomings that could undermine the objective of caste enumeration and affect the formulation of social justice policies. Congress has argued that caste names vary across regions and communities, making it difficult to capture accurate data through a single caste-name field. The party has therefore demanded a separate OBC column and called for the existing questionnaire to be reconsidered. Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have also urged the government to consult political parties and experts and consider approaches used in Bihar and Telangana for collecting caste-related data. Congress leaders have warned that without reliable figures, effective policies for social justice and representation cannot be properly designed. The BJP, however, has strongly rejected the criticism and questioned why the Congress did not conduct a caste census during its decades in power after Independence. The political exchange has added a new dimension to the wider debate over representation, social justice and the accuracy of demographic data. With the Census process underway, the dispute over the questionnaire and methodology is expected to remain a major political issue in the coming months. Both sides are now trading accusations, with Congress demanding changes to the process and the BJP defending the government’s approach while targeting the Congress over its past record.