Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday promised to conduct the caste census in Telangana if his party is voted to power in the state.
Addressing corner meetings on the way from Bhupalpally to Peddapally during the Congress’ ongoing ‘Vijayabheri Yatra’ in the state, where Assembly elections will be held on November 30, he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of not speaking on the issue, PTI reported.
Rahul Gandhi said the biggest issue in the country is with regard to caste census and termed it an “X-ray” that will throw light on the condition of Dalits, tribals and OBCs, and added it will also determine how the country’s funds are being distributed.
He asked the people to question Modi and KCR as to when they will conduct the caste census, and said if the Congress is voted to power in Telangana then the “first work his party’s government will do is to take up ‘X-ray’ in the state”.
According to him, “X-ray” will also ascertain how much of Telangana’s money the “Chief Minister’s family “looted”.
Rahul Gandhi further said that Congress-ruled states – Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka – have been told to conduct caste census.
“To fulfill the dreams of Telangana, caste census has to be conducted. I promise you, the Congress party will get the caste census done in Telangana,” Rahul Gandhi said.
The Congress will implement its six guarantees in Telangana, he said, adding they have not come here with false promises and accused KCR of not fulfilling his electoral promises.
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Rahul Gandhi said the upcoming electoral battle is between Dorala (feudal lords) Telangana and Prajala (people’s) Telangana and said he felt that KCR is going to lose the elections, PTI reported.
He said the BRS, BJP and AIMIM attacks the Congress party and reiterated his charge that the BJP government at the Centre misuses central agencies against opposition leaders to scare them.
Gandhi was speaking to a massive turnout at Kataram in Bhupalapally district on the second day of his yatra in poll-bound Telangana on Thursday.
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Congress has been campaigning for a nation-wide caste census as it seeks to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2024. The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on October 9 adopted a resolution promising a nation-wide caste census as part of the decadal census, if it comes to power at the Centre.
Telangana goes to polls on November 30 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.
(With inputs from PTI)