Chennai, Apr 30 (PTI) The Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in the forthcoming census exercise was a "hard-earned victory" for the DMK and Tamil Nadu government, Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Wednesday.

He asserted that his stance that only the union government could and should deliver a legally binding caste enumeration under the Census Act was now vindicated.

Also Read | Who Was Misha Agrawal? All About Social Media Influencer Who Died by Suicide 2 Days Before Her 25th Birthday Due to Decrease in Followers.

Opposition AIADMK welcomed the announcement, while DMK's ally, the Congress, claimed the announcement was the result of continuous pressure from the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on the Centre.

Stalin said, "After the failure of all its attempts to deny and delay the much-needed caste enumeration, the Union BJP Government has finally announced that it will be conducted along with the forthcoming Census. But key questions remain unanswered — when will the Census begin? When will it conclude?"

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: 7-Month-Old Tiger Cub Found Dead in Pench Tiger Reserve, Forest Officials Launch Probe.

In a post on the social media platform 'X', he said the timing of the announcement was no coincidence. With social justice dominating the Bihar elections narrative, this sudden move "reeks of political expediency."

"The same Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) who once accused opposition parties of dividing people on caste has now yielded to the very demand, he maligned repeatedly," the CM said.

Caste Census was essential, but not optional, for objective policymaking, targeted welfare, and the pursuit of real social justice. "You cannot remedy injustice without first recognising its scale," he added.

For the Tamil Nadu government and DMK, this was a hard-earned victory. "We were the first to adopt a resolution in the Legislative Assembly demanding Caste Census. We championed this cause in every forum. We reiterated this demand in every meeting with the Prime Minister and through multiple letters, consistently urging the Union Government to take responsibility," Stalin said.

While others called for state-level caste surveys, he stood firm, insisting that the census was a Union subject. "Only the Union Government can and should deliver a legally binding caste enumeration under the Census Act. Our stand is now vindicated. Another triumph for DMK and #INDIA Bloc in our arduous social justice journey, driven by the ideals of the #DravidianModel," the chief minister claimed.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami lauded Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his steadfast efforts, along with the Union Cabinet, in announcing the conduct of Caste Census fulfilling one of the long-standing demands of the people of Tamil Nadu.

In a post on 'X', the former chief minister said the people of Tamil Nadu have been demanding the Centre for many years to conduct a caste census. "During Amma's (late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's) regime, all necessary steps were taken to conduct a caste census in Tamil Nadu. However, after the change in regime, the DMK government abandoned that initiative," he alleged.

He wholeheartedly welcomed the central government's announcement to conduct a caste census after nearly 93 years. "On behalf of @AIADMKOfficial, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, Shri @narendramodi, for announcing the conduct of the caste census. @PMOIndia @AmitShah," he said.

Terming the BJP government's decision as a very good move to ensure social justice in India, Pattali Makkal Katchi president Dr S Ramadoss said his party has been involved in various steps towards this since 1998.

The census should be commenced soon, he said, and urged the state government to involve itself in conducting a separate caste-wise survey under the Statistics Collection Act of 2008 to know all the details of the people, including caste, education, employment, and economy.

TNCC chief K Selvaperunthagai claimed that the Centre decided to conduct the caste census owing to the pressure from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "This decision of the Union Government is a victory for the efforts of Rahul Gandhi," he claimed.

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

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)