Congress wants census of backward classes as it will help in taking steps for their welfare: Kharge

PTI, Oct 4, 2023, 5:14 PM IST

Raigarh: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said his party wants a census of the backward classes as the move will provide exact details about their status and help in taking measures for their welfare.

He slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accusing the Congress of trying to divide the country, and said his ”game” will not continue in 2024 as people of the country have become aware.

Addressing the Chhattisgarh Congress government’s ‘Bharose ka Sammelan’ event in Kodtarari village of Raigarh district, Kharge also accused the BJP and the RSS of having ”anti-women ideology”,m and said if the saffron party is concerned about women, backward classes and the poor, it should implement the legislation on women’s reservation now.

They (BJP) say the Congress had opposed the women’s reservation bill. Who brought amendments (to the Constitution) and ensured reservation for women in panchayat bodies? It was the Congress, he said.

Be it the Jan Sangh, BJP or RSS, their ideology has been ”anti-women”, Kharge alleged. They don’t want women to come forward, he said.

If they are concerned about women, backward classes and the poor, they should implement the legislation on women’s reservation in the existing strength of Parliament, he said, claiming it will not be implemented before 2034.

“The other thing is the OBC census. We want a census of backward classes as it will reveal information on how many of them are very backward, how many of them are literate, who are economically backward, etc. The census will disclose all these details and we would be able to take measures in their interest,” Kharge said. ”For all these things, we have been demanding that there should be a census of the backward classes and poor people,” he said.

”But Modi sahab says the opposition wants to divide the country and snatch the rights of women. Modi ji, now people have become aware and your game will not survive for long,” the Congress leader said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his rally in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, slammed the Congress over its pitch for caste census and accused the grand old party of trying to divide Hindus to destroy the country.

Kharge also called PM Modi ”jhoothon ke sardar” and accused him of lying.

Targeting the BJP, he said, the saffron party’s guarantee is to harass people, while the Congress’ guarantee is to create employment and hike support price for farmers.