Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Congress party has reacted with caution to Samajwadi Party chief, Akhilesh Yadav's statement that Congress was earlier against the caste-based census.
Senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh and Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari said that Rahul Gandhi was a big advocate of the Caste Census which was the need of the hour.
"Rahul Gandhi is presently the biggest advocate for caste census and he has also spoken on why it did not happen earlier and I agree with both of his statements. When a budget is formed, no group of people must be left out so we should know the exact numbers (of people) and their problems," said Tiwari.
He further said, "As of now, caste census is the need of the country because the nation will not be able to progress as long as there are some groups in the country who are not as uplifted" he added.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Betrayed Us: Akhilesh
Earlier, SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav took on the Congress over its recent support for the Caste-based census and said that the Congress now supporting the caste census is sort of a miracle as the party earlier used to be against it and did not want it to happen.
"It is the same Congress party that did not give the numbers of the caste census earlier. Now everyone knows that until and unless you don't have the support of the backward castes and tribes, you won't succeed," said Akhilesh Yadav.
"It's a miracle that now the Congress party wants a caste census. Congress party is now aware that the vote they were searching for is not with them anymore," he added.
The Congress has been championing the caste census with an assurance that such a census would be carried out in states where the Congress forms the government.
Earlier on Friday, Akhilesh Yadav continued his attack on the Congress for what he alleged was a betrayal saying that if this confusion prevails, the INDIA alliance would never be able to defeat the BJP.
"If Congress didn't want to give seats (in MP), then they should have said it before. Today, SP is fighting only on seats where it has its own organisation. Now after Madhya Pradesh, I know that the INDIA alliance is for the (parliamentary) elections at the national level. If Congress continues to behave like this, then who will stand with them? If we will fight against the BJP with confusion in our minds, then we won't succeed," said Akhilesh Yadav.
