New Delhi [India], May 1 (ANI): Posters of Rahul Gandhi were put outside the AICC headquarters in the national capital on Thursday after the Centre announced that the forthcoming population census will include a caste census.

On April 30, Rahul Gandhi said that the party supported the government's decision to conduct the caste enumeration during the population census, but should specify a timeline.

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Addressing a press conference, the Congress leader said that 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.

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"We had said in the Parliament that we will make Caste Census happen. We had also said that we would scrap the 50 per cent 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.

Gandhi 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. (ANI)

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