Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy addressed the media on May 1, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday (May 1, 2025) gave the credit to Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Telangana government for the Central government’s announcement of a nationwide BC (Backward Classes) caste census and urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to complete the exercise within an year.
“Telengana model became a role model for the entire country and we see this as a huge step for social justice and the sustained efforts from Telangana helped,” he said.
Addressing the media, Mr. Reddy said, “It was Rahul Gandhi who first raised the demand for a caste census during his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. We in Telangana took the lead, fulfilled the promise within 15 months, and paved the way for a national decision.”
Highlighting Telangana’s proactive role, Mr. Reddy said the State not only passed a resolution in its Assembly but also executed a comprehensive caste census. “Our experience has shown that it can be done efficiently without political interference. We are ready to share our model and expertise with the central government.”
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Mr. Reddy called for a tailored approach, noting that caste structures differ across States. “We suggest the Centre form a group of Union Ministers along with an expert committee to study each State’s unique social fabric and build consensus accordingly,” he said.
Outlining the efforts in Telangana, he said the process was inclusive, involving political parties, civil society, and experts. “We framed 57 key questions and sought direct input from people. Data privacy was strictly maintained under the Privacy Act.”
Detailing the scale of operation, he said there were 95,000 enumerating units, each covering 150 households, supervised by coordinators for every 10 enumerators. A second round was conducted to ensure no household was missed, and a helpline was also set up.
He reiterated that the initiative was kept free from political interference. “We didn’t politicize this. Our only aim was social justice. The Telangana model proves that it is possible.”
Commenting on BJP’s stance, he said, “All parties supported the caste census resolution, except the BJP. We had warned at Jantar Mantar that the nation wouldn’t spare any party that ignores this issue.”
Recollecting what Rahul Gandhi said, Mr. Reddy said that caste census was the X-ray of Indian society. “It is time for both the Centre and States to work together. There’s no politics in our suggestions — only a commitment to social equity.”
Published – May 01, 2025 01:02 PM is
