Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi write to Prime Minister; say social justice policies cannot be effectively implemented without accurate data

New Delhi: Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Shri Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 20, 2026, demanding that the methodology adopted by the Bihar and Telangana governments be applied at the national level. The Congress has rejected the current census format notified by the Union Home Ministry on August 14, calling it deceit and betrayal.

Briefing the media, Congress General Secretary in- charge of Communications Shri Jairam Ramesh said that Congress President Shri Kharge and Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi have written a letter to the Prime Minister on August 20, underlining that social justice policies cannot be effectively implemented without accurate caste census data.

He said that this was the third letter the Congress had written to the Prime Minister, as the earlier two letters from Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge had gone unacknowledged. Shri Jairam Ramesh noted that ‘caste census’ is a very sensitive issue linked with the future of the country, and it must be done with sincerity and honesty. He said that it is not a political, but a constitutional issue as it is directly linked with the ‘social justice’ mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution. Besides, he added, the reservations guaranteed by the Constitution are also provided on the basis of caste census.

Referring to the August 14 notification by the Union Home Ministry about caste census, Jairam Ramesh said that it carries 40 questions and on serial number 10, there is a question on the caste. “It is absolutely clear, the Modi government and the Prime Minister himself have no sincere intention to conduct caste census,” he said, remarking, “this is self-sabotage and meaningless census which will be of no use.”

He said that the current format of the caste census would not even reveal the size of the OBC population in India, as the term ‘Backward Class’ is not included in the questionnaire. He added that an accurate assessment of the population and socio-economic status of various castes is possible only if caste enumeration is conducted properly.

Party wants Bihar, Telangana ‘caste census’ methodology applied nationwide

AICC General Secretary In-charge (Communication) Shri Jairam Ramesh said that both the leaders have urged the Prime Minister to apply the Bihar and Telangana methodology at the national level. He said that while the census has been started in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Uttarakhand, it is scheduled to start in February 2027 in the rest of the country. He pointed out that there are still a few more months left for the necessary corrections and amendments to make the 2027 Census, which is supposed to be the caste census, meaningful. The Congress General Secretary also asserted that the questions in the census questionnaire should not be open-ended, but should instead use a ‘drop down’ format. He said that all the states and the centre government have lists of various castes which can be mentioned in the questionnaire, making it easy for the enumerator to list the castes.

Referring to an affidavit submitted by the Union Ministry of Education in the Supreme Court in 2021, Jairam Ramesh said that the affidavit stated that if a caste census were to be conducted, a list of castes would first need to be prepared.

Jairam Ramesh said that if the Prime Minister and his government are sincere and honest in their intentions, they will take notice of the letter written by Congress leaders. He said that the Prime Minister should speak to the Home Minister on the matter and adopt the Bihar and Telangana methodology. Referring to Nitish Kumar, he pointed out, the same Chief Minister who did it in Bihar is now with the NDA.

He made it categorically clear that the Congress will not accept the caste census in its current format as “it is not a census, but a whitewash.” Shri Ramesh said that the Home Minister should study the contents and the details of the letter, hold an All-Party meeting and speak to the states and change the questionnaire.