Kharge urges Centre to raise quota ceiling for backward communities from 50% to 68%

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday asked the central government to raise the ceiling on reservations for backward communities from the current 50% to 68%, aligning it with the model adopted by Tamil Nadu.

Speaking at a public meeting in Hubballi organised under the banner “Save Constitution, Save the Country,” Kharge also accused the BJP-led government of hesitating to conduct a caste-based census until pressured by the Congress.

“I demand that the Centre remove the 50% cap on reservations and increase it to 67 to 68%,” he said, alleging that the Union government was obstructing efforts to raise the quota limits. He maintained that the reservation ceiling must reflect the population realities to ensure equitable opportunities for backward classes.

Kharge said the Modi government failed to curb inflation and suggested that economic indicators such as income levels, employment data, and poverty reduction metrics could have been better understood had the census taken place as scheduled in 2021.

“The Centre never wanted to even conduct a census, but we don’t know how good sense prevailed upon them,” he said. Kharge questioned the delay in launching the enumeration process and demanded that the exercise be completed within three months. “You have to do it in three months; then only will we conclude that you are interested in conducting the census. If you fail to do so, then we will believe that you are not keen on it,” he said.

He also reiterated his call for a special Parliament session to discuss the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were reportedly killed. “Explain to us what and why it happened in Pahalgam. Was it due to intelligence and security lapse by the central forces, local police or the Border Security Forces?” Kharge asked, repeating his demand for an all-party meeting on the issue.

He also attacked the BJP’s historical legacy, claiming that, unlike Congress members who fought for India’s freedom and went to jail, BJP leaders were aligned with the British during colonial rule.

Joining Kharge at the event, chief minister Siddaramaiah focused his speech on price inflation and the Modi government’s alleged attempt to divide society. “Through continuous price hikes, the government of Narendra Modi, which has become an enemy of the poor and the middle class, is stoking the fire of hatred between castes and religions to cover up its failures,” he said.

Siddaramaiah blamed the Centre for soaring prices of essentials—from food grains and medicines to fuel and gold. “From salt, sugar, tea, coffee, rice, pulses, oil, grains, gold, silver, fertilisers, medicines, diesel, petrol, to cooking gas—Modi has caused the prices of everything to soar. What has he spared?” he asked. He also pointed out the steep depreciation of the rupee since 2014, saying, “The dollar was worth ₹59 in 2014. Today, it is 86 rupees. Who is responsible for this, Modi? Is this your ‘good days’?”

The CM drew a comparison between the previous UPA government and the current NDA administration, noting that LPG cylinder prices had doubled since Manmohan Singh’s tenure. He accused the Centre of anti-poor policies and eliminating subsidies while blaming the states for price increases.

He also defended the state’s decision to hike milk prices by ₹4, stating the entire amount was meant for farmers, unlike the Centre’s hikes, which he said benefited private entities.

Amid ongoing political back-and-forth over caste surveys, senior BJP leader and leader of the Opposition R Ashoka hit out at the Congress leadership, citing Rahul Gandhi’s praise of Telangana’s caste census as a snub to Karnataka’s version. “After disowning and disassociating with Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s ‘No War needed with Pakistan’ barb, Rahul Gandhi now snubs Karnataka’s flawed caste survey by claiming that Telangana’s survey can become a blueprint,” he said.

He further said: “The fact that Rahul Gandhi himself doesn’t approve of Karnataka’s caste survey shows how flawed and opaque it is.”

Despite these attacks, Siddaramaiah described the Centre’s decision to conduct a caste census as a victory for the Congress’s ideological struggle. “Even after 75 years of the Constitution’s implementation, inequality and discrimination persist… our leaders, Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, consistently raised their voices and fought in Parliament. As a result, the central BJP government has bowed to our struggle,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)