The Congress party in Telangana has urged its members across the state to celebrate the caste census and the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) for reservation purposes. According to the party, these steps are important milestones in achieving social justice.
On Wednesday, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud described the caste census and SC sub-categorisation as a “historic leap towards social justice.” The caste census report was presented in the State Legislature on Tuesday during a special session. The Assembly also passed a resolution requesting the Central government to conduct a similar caste census nationwide.
Following this, Mahesh Kumar Goud, along with ministers and MLAs, met Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to congratulate him on successfully conducting the caste survey and implementing reservation categorisation. He later expressed his views on social media, stating that the resolution for a caste census and the government’s report on SC categorisation were significant steps towards ensuring equity, empowerment, and rightful representation in Telangana.
Speaking to the media at Gandhi Bhavan, Mahesh Kumar Goud said that the long-standing aspirations of Backward Classes (BCs) and SCs had been fulfilled through the recent caste census and SC classification. He credited Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and various ministers for achieving this milestone, emphasizing that Telangana is the only state to have conducted a BC caste census since independence.
Goud, along with BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whips Aadi Srinivas and Beerla Ilaiah, and other Congress leaders, pointed out that while states like Bihar have yet to implement a caste census, Telangana has successfully completed the initiative.
He also responded to criticism from opposition parties, stating that instead of opposing the caste census survey, they should provide constructive suggestions and recommendations. He emphasized that the survey was conducted in a scientific manner and revealed that more than 56 percent of Telangana’s population belongs to BC communities.
Furthermore, Goud accused leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of misleading BC associations on the caste census issue. He urged BC leaders not to be influenced by opposition leaders and to support the government’s efforts in ensuring fair representation.