New Delhi, Apr 30 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday described the government's decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise as "better late than never" and stressed that it had been demanding this for long.

In a major decision, the government announced that caste enumeration will be included in the forthcoming census exercise in a "transparent" manner and slammed the opposition parties for using caste survey as a "political tool".

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Opposition parties, including the Congress, have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue, and some states like Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have conducted such surveys in their states.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the party had raised the issue in its resolution on social justice, which was passed in Ahmedabad on April 9, 2025.

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"Better late than never," he said in a post on X.

Ramesh also shared screen shots of the resolution 'Nyaypath' in which the party had listed its initiatives for achieving social justice.

Later, Ramesh also shared April 16, 2023 letter of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he had demanded that the decennial census be carried out and a comprehensive caste census be made a part of it.

"On April 16 2023 - that is, over two years back - Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge had written this letter to the PM. Need anything more be said?" he said.

In its resolution at the AICC session in Ahmedabad, the Congress had on April 9 said it remains steadfast in its commitment to enact a central law for the SC/ST sub plan and guarantee budgetary allocations in accordance with their population.

The party had also asserted that the fundamental guarantee given under Article 15 (5), introduced by the Congress on January 20, 2006, of reservation for OBCs, SCs and STs in private educational institutions must be implemented without delay.

It said the constitutionally guaranteed foundation of social justice can only be strengthened and carried forward by a nationwide caste census. PTI ASK

"On April 16 2023 - that is, over two years back - Congress President Shri Mallikarjun Kharge had written this letter to the PM. Need anything more be said?" Ramesh said. ASK

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