'He should've discussed': Congress reacts as Anand Sharma differs with party on caste census

Congress leaders reacted on Anand Sharma's letter to president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday saying that Sharma, a senior leader and a member of Congress Working Committee, should have discussed the matter in the CWC meetings.  

Sharma has raised questions on the caste census and said that it cannot be a panacea nor a solution for unemployment and inequalities in society.

, reacting to it, said, " is a senior leader. He is also a member of CWC. So if he wanted to discuss anything, he could do so there."

MP Dr Syed Naseer Hussain also added on it saying that the party has not done any caste-based politics. 

"This party belongs to every Indian. Based on the , we will be able to formulate policies for all sections. We have not done any caste-based politics. There is democracy in the party to discuss all issues," Hussain said. 

Anand Sharma, in his letter to Kharge, said the Congress has never engaged in nor endorsed identity politics and many are concerned over the party's departure from its historic position.

He also said that the articulation of party position should be balanced and should eschew the radical posturing of regional and caste-based organisations.

It needs mention that the last census to enumerate caste differentiation was in 1931 during the British colonial regime, he wrote.

After independence, a conscious policy decision was made by the government not to canvass caste-related questions in the census, except for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, which is collected by the states.

"All Census Commissioners, after independence, have recorded their reasons and disapproval of a National Caste Census citing overlap, duplication, data lacking in accuracy and doubtful authenticity.

"In my considered view, a