PM Modi a ‘U-turn ustad’, wants to sabotage caste census: Congress
The Indian National Congress has accused the Modi government of sabotaging the upcoming 2027 census by failing to include a drop-down menu for caste selection. The party claims this contradicts the government's own 2021 Supreme Court affidavit, which suggested such a mechanism would improve data consistency.
Why it matters
The caste census is a highly sensitive political issue in India, impacting reservation policies and electoral strategies for major political parties.
The Congress on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) alleged that the Narendra Modi government wants to sabotage the caste census and asked why the 2027 census does not include a drop-down menu for selecting castes, despite the Centre recommending it in its affidavit to the Supreme Court in September 2021.
The Opposition party claimed that the Prime Minister made a "complete U-turn" on April 30, 2025, by announcing a caste census, only to now perform a "U-turn on his earlier U-turn".
Congress General Secretary In-Charge Communications Jairam Ramesh highlighted that on September 21, 2021, the Modi government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court categorically rejecting the plea for a caste census.
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