"RSS is against reservation, caste census since birth": Congress President Kharge hits back at BJP allegations

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 1 (ANI): With the Centre announcing that it will conduct caste enumeration and the national census together, both the Congress and BJP have stepped up their attack against each other.
While the BJP accused the Congress of being against reservation and trying to use the Caste census as a tool for political gain, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit back sharply, saying that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been against reservation "since birth."
"They shouldn't make unnecessary comments on Jawaharlal Nehru or this and that. They are Jansangh, RSS, but by birth they are opposing this reservation. When such people are against reservation, they are saying congress against this. If we are against I shouldn't have written a letter two years ago," Kharge said during a press conference in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
He said that despite his letter, the central government did not agree at that time, but now that the decision has been announced, they will fully support and cooperate with it.
He accused the BJP of "creating confusion" in people's mind, and urged that whatever promises have been made have to be fulfilled.
"Again they create confusion in people's mind. That is all bogus. For political purpose they always do such things. But whatever action they have taken should be fulfilled."
Kharge also refused to speculate whether the decision to conduct a caste census was taken because of Bihar elections, which are set to commence later this year.
"I don't think in view of Bihar elections. I don't want go into this politics. Because ultimately the country is important, people are important. Since birth of RSS they are against caste census. So they have no rights to talk about the reservation. All opposition party has asked for it, Rahul Gandhi took a lead in this caste census, we have achieved it and we are happy."
The letter by All India Congress Committee (AICC) to the Prime Minister in 2023 had urged for an immediate conducting of the national census with the caste census be made an "integral part" of it.
The letter had read, "I would also like to point out that the regular decennial census was to be carried out in 2021 but it has not yet been conducted. We demand that it be done immediately and that a comprehensive caste census be made its integral part"
The Cabinet committee on Political Affairs, chaired by PM Modi had decided to conducted a caste census along with the national census. However, a set date has not been announced by the government.
As per Article 246 of the Constitution of India, the Census is a Union subject listed at 69 in the Union List in the Seventh Schedule.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday had talked about the caste census of other states, as Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have already done the exercise. However he raised concerns over the census' transparency and intent, claiming that some were done with a political angle.

Vaishnaw said, "While some states have conducted surveys to enumerate castes, these surveys have varied in transparency and intent, with some conducted purely from a political angle, creating doubts in society. Considering all these circumstances, and to ensure that our social fabric does not come under political pressure, it has been decided that caste enumeration should be included in the main census instead of being conducted as a separate survey." (ANI)