Congress party criticizes Census 2027 intent and content

The Congress party has criticized the upcoming Census 2027, alleging that the process has become ‘totally perverted’ with ‘very dubious’ intent. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described certain aspects of the census content as ‘worthless, superfluous and diabolical.’

Concerns have been raised by former census officials regarding the quality of data collection and potential links between the census, the National Population Register, and the National Register of Citizens. The controversy follows the government's decision to advance the Population Enumeration phase in four states facing upcoming elections and the introduction of new questions in the schedule.

Additionally, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have expressed objections to the format of the caste census, specifically criticizing the use of open-ended questions instead of drop-down lists. The party has formally requested that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensure the census is conducted properly.