New Delhi [India], May 1 (ANI): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said the party has consistently demanded a caste census, hoping that the central government will allocate the budget and release the report. The government on Wednesday decided to include caste enumeration in the population census.

Kharge said that the caste census has been a long-standing demand of the Congress.

'I hope they will allot the budget, start the caste and general census, and release the report. It's a long-standing demand of ours...They didn't do it. Two years back, I wrote a letter for the caste census and the purpose that it will serve,' Kharge said.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi extended party support for the government's decision to conduct caste enumeration during the forthcoming population census, but asked the BJP to specify a timeline.

Addressing a press conference here, Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, said Telangana has provided a model for conducting caste census and it can provide a blueprint for the exercise at the national level.

He said the Congress has been demanding a caste census and the government had 'suddenly after 11 years' taken this decision.

'We had said in the Parliament that we will make Caste Census happen. We had also said that we would scrap the 50% cap, the artificial wall that is in place. Narendra Modi used to say that there are just four castes. Don't know what happened but suddenly after 11 years, Caste Census has been announced,' Rahul Gandhi said.

'We completely support it but we want a timeline. We want to know that by when this will happen. This is the first step. Telangana has become a model in Caste Census and it can become a blueprint. We offer our support to the government in designing the Caste Census...There are two examples - Bihar's and Telangana's and there is a vast difference between the two,' he added.

The Congress leader said the caste census is the first step, and there is a need to bring a new development paradigm.

'I would like to reiterate that caste census is the first step. Our vision is of bringing a new development paradigm through Caste Census. Not just reservations but we are also asking central questions - be it OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis, what is their participation in this country? Through Caste Census it will be found, but we have to go ahead of Caste Census...We had said one more thing, Congress had raised one more point, it was mentioned in the manifesto as well --- Article 15(5) - reservation in private educational institutions. This is already a law. We want the NDA-BJP Government to begin implementing it,' he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at a media briefing following the cabinet meeting that the decision demonstrates the present government's commitment to the holistic interests and values of the nation and society. (ANI)