Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday reiterated the party’s demand for a nationwide caste-based census and the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservations. Speaking at the Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan for OBCs at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi, Kharge launched a strong attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of denying rights to backward communities and misleading the country, reported news agency ANI.

Kharge expressed his satisfaction with the large turnout, stating, "I am happy that a large number of people have gathered here and they understand their rights. Conducting a caste-based census in the country and abolishing the 50 per cent reservation limit is our demand. Narendra Modi does not want to give reservations to those who are educationally backward, but we stand with them." He further emphasised that the voice of the OBC community will only be heard when their representatives are elected to power. "We must fight for our rights because even asking for them won’t get us anywhere. Sometimes we have to struggle, sometimes we have to show strength, and during elections, we need to choose someone who stands by their principles. The voice of the OBC will only be heard when OBC people are in elected office," he asserted.

Kharge accused PM Modi of leveraging his OBC identity for political gain, claiming that Modi had his own community included in the OBC list only after becoming Gujarat Chief Minister. "Modi ji calls himself OBC; he was earlier in the upper caste, but after becoming Chief Minister, he got his community included in the OBC list. Then he started his cunning tactics, saying among OBC people, ‘Brothers and sisters, I am from the backward class, I am being oppressed.’ But... now he is oppressing everyone, and this won’t work anymore," Kharge stated.