New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has stepped up his attack on the Narendra Modi government over the caste census, warning that a large-scale mobilisation by the OBC community could force the government to bow to public pressure.
Speaking at an OBC department programme on Monday, Gandhi drew a parallel with the recent Gen Z-led protests over students’ issues and asked what would happen if the OBC community took a similar path.
“What if the OBC community takes the path of Gen Z?” Gandhi asked, according to Congress sources.
Gandhi alleged that the Modi government had initially resisted the demand for a caste census and that those raising the issue were dismissed as “urban Naxals”. He claimed the government eventually agreed to include caste enumeration after sustained political pressure over the size of the OBC population and its representation.
Rahul Gandhi Questions How Caste Enumeration Will Be Done
Gandhi, however, questioned whether the exercise would adequately capture OBC representation.
He alleged that while separate provisions exist for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, a similar provision has not been made for OBCs. He argued that merely conducting a caste enumeration would not be enough unless the exercise accurately captures the population and representation of backward communities.
The government’s position is that this year’s Census exercise will include caste enumeration for all communities. The Centre announced in April 2025 that caste enumeration would be incorporated into Census 2027, marking the first such exercise since Independence covering all castes.
The Ministry of Home Affairs said in February 2026 that caste would be enumerated during the second phase of Census 2027, or the Population Enumeration phase. It also said the questions relating to caste would be finalised and notified before that phase begins.
‘What If OBCs Also Take To The Streets?’
The Gandhi scion referred to the recent Gen Z protests to make his broader political argument, saying public mobilisation had forced the government to respond to students’ demands.
He then asked what could happen if the OBC community, which he described as a much larger section of the population, were to organise a similar movement.
His message was that the government would have little choice but to respond if the OBC community took its demands to the streets.
The remarks come as the Congress continues to make caste enumeration and OBC representation central to its social justice campaign.
BJP’s Counter: Centre Already Took Caste Census Decision
The BJP and the Centre have previously rejected Congress’ attempts to claim sole credit for the caste census push.
When the government approved caste enumeration in April 2025, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the decision represented a commitment to social equity and the rights of all sections of society. He also accused the Congress and its allies of opposing caste census for decades while in power.
The government has since moved ahead with preparations for Census 2027. The exercise will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase covering house-listing and housing-related information and the second phase involving population enumeration, including caste data.
The Centre has also said the upcoming census will be India’s first digital census, with caste data to be collected electronically during the second phase.
Caste Census Becomes Fresh Congress-BJP Flashpoint
Gandhi has made caste census a recurring part of his political campaign, arguing that population data is essential to determine the representation of OBCs and other marginalised communities.
The BJP, meanwhile, has maintained that the Modi government itself took the decision to bring caste enumeration into the national census and has accused the Congress of politicising the issue.