Congress leaders on Saturday said the Centre should adopt the Telangana model for what they termed a scientific caste census to do justice to the backward classes by granting them a share in resources proportionate to their population.
They expressed these views at the ‘Scientific Caste Census Day’ organised by the OBC wing of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on the 200th birth anniversary of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.
Anil Jaihind, All India Congress Committee’s OBC wing chairman, said, “The Congress will launch a movement against the “Manuvadi” (casteist) mindset that seeks to deprive women of their rightful share.” He also read out a message from senior party leader Rahul Gandhi to the party workers.
Ponnam Prabhakar Goud, Telangana minister for transport and backward classes welfare, also said the Centre should adopt the Telangana model of caste enumeration.
Bhupesh Baghel, former Chhattisgarh CM who was the chief guest at the event, appealed that programmes should be organised in every village to advocate for an OBC caste census and to demand a share for OBC women in all Lok Sabha seats proportionate to their population.
Manoj Yadav, Uttar Pradesh Congress OBC wing chairman, said collective effort will ensure fulfilment of the vision of social justice.
Ajay Kumar Lallu, party in-charge for Odisha and former UP Congress chief; Avinash Pande, in-charge, Uttar Pradesh Congress; K Raju, in-charge, Jharkhand Congress committee, Aradhana Mishra, Leader, Congress Legislative Party; and Rajendra Pal Gautam, national chairman, Scheduled Castes department, Congress, were also present on the occasion.
