Randeep Surjewala criticized the Modi Government for stalling the caste-based census, citing RSS opposition.
Patna, May 5, 2025: Congress General Secretary and CWC member Randeep Surjewala launched a strong attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP over the delay and alleged opposition to a caste-based census, accusing the government of turning a blind eye to the demands of marginalized communities.
Speaking to the media in Patna on Monday, Surjewala said,” Caste census is not in the DNA of the BJP.
The Modi government has put the process on hold for years and blocked efforts to count the population of Dalits, backward castes, and other deprived sections.”
Randeep Surjewala claimed that the BJP’s resistance to caste enumeration stems from its ideological parent, the RSS, citing past statements from senior RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi.
“On May 23 and June 6, 2010, Joshi openly said the RSS is against caste being counted in the census. These views were even published in RSS mouthpiece organizer,” Surjewala said.
Randeep Surjewala further argued that the caste census is a crucial element of social justice, stating that the Congress party views the two as inseparable.
“Congress’s vision of social justice and caste census are two sides of the same coin. This is the truth. The poor now demand two things rights and representation proportional to their population,” he asserted.
Randeep Surjewala mentioned Congress-led UPA’s 2011 effort and BJP’s alleged inaction:
Randeep Surjeewala recalled that it were the Congress-led UPA government that initiated the Social, Economic, and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011, emphasizing its significance in addressing socio-economic disparities.
“The report was submitted to the Modi government on July 3, 2015, but instead of using it, they threw it in the dustbin,” he alleged.
He credited Rahul Gandhi with keeping the issue alive.
“This fight began in 2011 and has been ongoing for 15 years. For the past 11 years, Rahul Gandhi has made caste census a central mission of his political life,” he said.
Citing court battles and the government’s opposition:
Highlighting legal challenges, Randeep Surjewala referred to a 2021 case filed by the Maharashtra government (CWP 841/2021) regarding OBC reservation in panchayats.
The petition sought access to caste data collected in 2011 to aid in reservation decisions.
“Shockingly, the Modi government opposed the petition in the Supreme Court, filing an affidavit on September 21, 2021, arguing that asking about caste would disrupt the entire census process,” Surjewala noted.
He accused the central government of obstructing justice and denying the socio-political reality of India’s marginalized groups
EOM.