Congress leaders discuss Pahalgam attack, caste census strategy

Top Congress leaders will deliberate on the Pahalgam terror attack and the caste census announced by the Centre at a crucial meeting of the party's working committee, its highest decision-making body, on Friday evening.

Party general secretary Jairam Ramesh told reporters that the entire Congress Working Committee (CWC) would sit and discuss the two crucial issues before the country.

Sources said the CWC is likely to pass resolutions seeking concrete action against Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and for allocating funds to get the caste census conducted as soon as part of the national census exercise.

"There is a meeting of the CWC at 4 pm on Friday, and we will discuss this. The most important issue is the Pahalgam attack, and we will discuss that as it is the biggest political issue before the country. The country is waiting (for action), and those who have lost their family members are seeking justice," Ramesh said.

The CWC meeting would be held at the party's 24 Akbar Road headquarters here.

Ramesh said the party leadership will also discuss the issue of the caste census that the government announced on Wednesday.

"We will raise the issue of removal of the 50-percent reservation cap in Parliament," he added.

The Centre announced on Wednesday that caste enumeration will be part of the next population census, with the inclusion of caste details for the first time since independence.

The CWC also met on April 24 in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that the perpetrators of the April 22 attack, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed, must be held accountable and the prime minister should act firmly.

He also welcomed the government's "sudden" decision to include caste enumeration in the next census exercise after "11 years of opposing it" but asserted that the Centre should fix a timeline for its implementation.

Crediting a sustained campaign run by the Congress for the government announcing the caste census, he said his immediate suspicion is this could go the women's bill way in terms of implementation and demanded a specific date for it.

The leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha said it is clear that the pressure the Congress put on the government for the caste census has worked.