Congress OBC Advisory Council seeks national caste census

The AICC OBC Advisory Council, chaired by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on July 16, unanimously passed a Bengaluru Declaration, which demanded conducting a national-level caste census by the Census Commission of India.

After two days of deliberations, Mr. Siddaramaiah said the meeting passed a resolution demanding a national-level caste census by the Census Commission of India, officially known as the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India (ORGI). “The census must include Social, Economic, Educational, Employment, Political aspects of each individual and castes, keeping the Telangana State (caste survey) as a role model.

The OBC Advisory Council of the Congress party demanded breaking the 50% cap in providing reservation, thereby ensuring suitable reservation for the OBCs, in education, service, political and other areas.

The resolution demanded reservation in private educational institutes as per Article 15(5) of the Constitution.

Mr. Siddaramaiah, who read out the resolution, said the Advisory Council of the OBC Department of AICC, unanimously thanked senior leader Rahul Gandhi for courageously taking up the cause of social justice for the marginalised sections of society, and standing up for the cause of the backward classes in particular.

Former chief ministers M. Veerappa Moily, former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, former Puducherry CM V. Narayanswamy and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, senior leader B. K. Hariprasad were among those who attended the meeting.