New Delhi, Apr 30 (UNI) Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday welcomed the Central Government's decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming national census and called for a clear implementation timeline.
Addressing a press conference at the party office here, Gandhi reiterated the party's longstanding demand for a caste census and emphasised the need to break the 50 percent cap on reservation.
"We also advocate eliminating the 50 percent cap on reservations as it is increasingly becoming an impediment to development, progress and the advancement of the backward castes, Dalits, and Adivasis," Gandhi said.
Highlighting "Telangana as a model state that successfully conducted a comprehensive caste census", Gandhi urged the Central Government to "incorporate some of its effective approaches in the national census ".
The former Congress president also demanded the swift implementation of Article 15(5), which pertains to reservations in private educational institutions — a law that already exists.
"We urge the government to implement it without any delay," he added.
The Raebareli MP also praised all the Congress members, workers, and every single person, activists from the backward communities, Dalits, and Adivasis who fought for the caste census.
While replying to a question on the Pahalgam terror attack, Gandhi said, "I would not like to comment as to how this happened, I just want to say that those who have done it will have to pay the price for this". UNI RBE SSP