Noting the country is facing "serious internal challenges", Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said incidents of violence were tarnishing the image of a progressive and secular India and alleged the BJP was adding "fuel to fire".

In his opening remarks at the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) here, Kharge said the party demands an immediate start of the Census process along with a caste survey to secure the right to health, education, employment and food security for the deprived sections of society.