Will Conduct Caste Census After Winning Madhya Pradesh Assembly Polls, Says Congress President Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that his party will conduct a caste census in Madhya Pradesh once they win the upcoming Assembly polls. 

Kharge was in Sagar on Tuesday attending a public rally when he spoke about the changes they would bring if the Assembly poll results favour Congress. 

Mallikarjun Kharge reminded everyone in the audience about Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone of Rs 100 crore memorial-cum-temple of Sant Ravidas who was a revered figure for Scheduled Castes, Kharge further pointed out, "they laid the foundation of Saint Ravidas temple in Sagar but demolished his in Delhi”.

He alleged that PM Modi remembered Saint Ravidas only during elections. 

According to PTI, the 2011 Census revealed that the population of Dalits in MP was 1.13 crore.

Bundelkhand has six Assembly seats reserved for SCs, and the BJP had won five of them in the 2018 state polls, namely Bina, Naryoli, Jatara, Chandala and Hatta, while the Congress managed to get Gunnor, says PTI report.

Bundelkhand comprises Sagar, Chattarpur, Tikamgarh, Nimari, Damoh and Panna districts, with 26 Assembly seats, of which 15 were won by the BJP in the last state polls, while the Congress got nine and one each was won by Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

Kharge during his speech reminded the audience that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government has not implemented the Bundelkhand package sanctioned on the recommendation of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. 

Further Kharge expressed his disappointment towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not taking appropriate steps to bring peace in strife-torn Manipur.

Kharge said, "Some people are trying to change the Constitution but that cannot happen as 140 crore people are there to protect it."

Assembly polls are expected to be held in the BJP-ruled state at the end of the year.