PM Modi a ‘U-turn ustad’, wants to sabotage caste census: Congress

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 maintained 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.

“However, para 12 (d) in the affidavit states the following: ‘There was no registry of caste prepared prior to the conduct of the 2011 Census. It would have been ideal for the Registry of Castes that there should have been given a drop-down menu for selection of the castes. It could have made some consistent data available which can be relied upon’,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.

Mr. Ramesh questioned why the 2027 census does not feature this drop-down menu. It the Modi government had recommended in its affidavit to the Supreme Court in September 2021.

He noted that such a menu had been prepared before caste surveys were conducted in Bihar and Telangana.

This suggestion was also reflected in a letter from the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to Prime Minister Modi on May 5, 2025, Mr. Ramesh pointed out.

“The conclusion is clear: the Modi Government wants to simply sabotage the caste census. The PM had made a complete U-turn on April 30, 2025 and unveiled that a caste census. It he had earlier attacked as an ‘urban naxal’ idea, would take place.” He said.

Also read: Checkbox caste: On the counting of caste, Census 2027

“Now he has done another U-turn on his earlier U-turn and, without saying so, has buried the idea of a caste census. He is a U-turn ustad,” Mr. Ramesh said.