Congress leaders write to PM Modi seeking cancellation of current census caste questionnaire
Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi argued that the open-ended format for recording caste details is misleading and asked for the questionnaire to be withdrawn.
New Delhi1 min read
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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 August 2026 asking that the current census questionnaire be cancelled over its open-ended format for recording caste details.
In a post on X they stated that the government had opted for an open-ended question format which they described as misleading. The letter itself called for the questionnaire to be withdrawn and replaced with a more structured approach.
The census process has included caste enumeration for the first time in decades. The method of recording responses has become a point of political contention. Opposition parties argue that an open-ended question risks incomplete or inconsistent data; the government maintains that the design allows accurate self-identification.
No formal reply from the Prime Minister's Office was issued on the same day. The census schedule continues according to the notified timeline.
The exchange adds to the broader debate over how caste data should be collected and used for policy. Whether the questionnaire is revised will depend on the government's assessment of the technical and political arguments now on the table.
