Rahul Heaps Praise on Revanth for BC Survey

AICC senior leader Rahul Gandhi, and Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, on Thursday heaped praise on Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for conducting the caste census in what he described as a “meticulous and fool-proof” manner. Speaking at an event held at Indira Bhavan, the AICC headquarters in Delhi, where the Chief Minister gave a presentation on the caste census, Rahul Gandhi said that Revanth Reddy and his team had not only met but far exceeded his expectations. He termed the Telangana caste census a potential blueprint for a national exercise.

Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy showcased the comprehensive methodology adopted by Telangana in carrying out the caste census. This included a 56-question questionnaire, consultations with various stakeholders and a transparent data-gathering process. Rahul Gandhi applauded the initiative, calling it a “milestone for social justice” and a model that should define the contours of the upcoming national caste census.

"Revanth Reddy ji and the Telangana Congress team have done an outstanding job. They have demonstrated that a caste census, when done in the right



spirit and with sincerity, can become a transformative tool for governance," Rahul Gandhi said, adding, "This is not just a state-level exercise, this is now going to shape the national conversation — whether the BJP likes it or not." The event marked the first time Rahul Gandhi, after assuming his role as the LoP, publicly and strongly praised the Chief Minister at a national platform.

Rahul Gandhi also underscored the inclusive process followed by the Telangana government, contrasting it with top-down bureaucratic exercises. "A caste census cannot happen behind closed doors of bureaucracy. Telangana has set a new benchmark by involving people, civil society, and experts at every step," he said. He promised that the Congress would take up the findings of the Telangana caste census to fight in Parliament for an increase in reservations, break the 50 per cent overall reservations barrier, arguing that the BJP-led Centre had no intention of addressing the realities of caste-based disparities. "The BJP fears revealing the truth about India’s social fabric," Rahul Gandhi charged, accusing the Centre of ideological rigidity and lack of political will.