Rahul Gandhi speaks about UPA's ‘mistake’ on caste census: ‘Came up with idea but…'

Rahul Gandhi said that a JMM-Congress victory in Jharkhand will ensure a caste census in the state.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a press conference in Jharkhand on Monday, talked about a “mistake” made by the UPA government while in power regarding the caste census, which has been one of the primary poll promises of the Congress party during the assembly elections.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a press conference for the Jharkhand Assembly Elections, in Ranchi on Monday. (ANI Photo)(Somnath Sen)

Rahul Gandhi said that while the UPA government was the one to come up with the idea of the caste census, their “mistake” was to not implement it during their tenure. He further said that the party has plans to rectify this mistake, starting with the Congress-ruled states of Karnataka and Telangana, reported NDTV.

While speaking at Jharkhand's Ranchi, Rahul Gandhi said, “The UPA and Congress came out with the idea of a caste census. I consider it a mistake that we did not implement it then.” He further said that the win of JMM-Congress alliance in Jharkhand will ensure that a caste census takes place in the state.

Gandhi said that the Congress party has a “very clear vision” about the implementation of the caste census. The current lack of data on Backward Classes hinders effective policymaking, he said.