Hyderabad, Apr 30 (PTI) Hailing the Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in the next census exercise, Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Wednesday alleged that the Congress has always been opposed to caste census.

Congress and its allies have of late started selfish politics in the name of caste census and tried to use it as a political tool, causing concerns among people, Kishan Reddy, Union Coal and Mines Minister, said.

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Observing that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been functioning with commitment, he said the latest decision shows its sincerity towards the cause. The Modi government had earlier introduced 10 per cent reservations for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), he said in a release here.

Noting that caste census was conducted between 1881 and 1931, he said the Congress government formed at the Centre after Independence had decided against such a census.

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He alleged that Congress is in the habit of dividing people along religious lines since Independence. The party has now conspired to divide people along caste lines (in the name of caste census) to gain political mileage, he said.

BJP, however, wanted caste census for social justice and administrative convenience, he said.

Sanjay Kumar, Union Minister of State for Home, said it is shameful that Congress leaders are trying to claim credit for the Centre's decision to conduct caste enumeration.

"Since Independence, the Congress-led governments have never conducted a caste census at the national level nor did they include caste data during population enumerations," he said in a statement.

Welcoming the Centre's decision, BRS Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra said the decision is a victory for BRS and shows the unity of backward classes.

BRS has agitated against the alleged inaccuracies in the caste survey conducted by the Congress government in Telangana, he said in a release.

In a major decision, the Central 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".

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