Census row: Rahul Gandhi, Kharge demand cancellation of current caste questionnaire

NEW DELHI: Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to cancel the current questionnaire used in the ongoing census exercise pertaining to caste enumeration. The letter, written in Hindi and dated August 20, was made public on Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

In their communication, the leaders argued that the government has opted for an open-ended question format to record caste details, which they said is misleading and would lead to inaccurate and inconsistent data. As per the Congress leaders' post on X (formerly Twitter), the open-ended format would result in the same caste being recorded under different names and sub-castes, thereby scattering the data. The biggest loss, they said, would be borne by Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the most backward, and other deprived communities.

The two leaders have called for a fresh questionnaire based on a pre-prepared and verified list of castes. They also demanded extensive consultation with political parties, experts, and the public before finalising the exercise. The letter cited the caste surveys conducted in Telangana and Bihar as practical solutions for accurate enumeration.

Briefing reporters on the contents of the letter, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the government's current approach as a “whitewash” of the caste census demand. He reiterated that the party's assertion is that the enumeration process must be scientific, transparent, and comprehensive.

The issue of a caste census has been a politically significant one in India. Various parties and social groups have long demanded a detailed count of castes to ensure better targeting of affirmative action policies and welfare schemes. The government's decision to include caste data in the census has been accompanied by debates on methodology. Open-ended questions have been criticised by some for being insufficient to capture India's complex caste hierarchy, while others argue that pre-verified lists could be outdated or incomplete.

The Congress leaders' letter comes amid a broader push by opposition parties to have a complete and accurate caste census before the next election cycle. However, the government has maintained that it is committed to a transparent process. There has been no official response from the Prime Minister's Office or the Ministry of Home Affairs as of Tuesday evening.

The letter also underscores a broader political divide on how caste data should be collected. While the Congress has supported the demand for a comprehensive and meticulously planned survey, it has expressed qualms over the current methodology, saying it could undermine the very purpose of the exercise. The leaders have stressed that the census should not only be conducted but also done correctly.

This development is likely to intensify the political debate over caste enumeration in the coming weeks, with opposition parties gearing up to press the government on the matter during the next parliamentary session.