# Indian Congress opposition to 2027 Census

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/indian-congress-opposition-to-2027-census
> Updated: 2026-09-11T15:54:34.000Z. Sources: 5. Developments: 3.

The Congress party has leveled several accusations against the Modi government regarding the upcoming 2027 Census, specifically concerning the inclusion of caste data. In August 2026, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh and OBC department chief Anil Jaihind alleged that the government was attempting to sabotage the census by omitting structured mechanisms for caste selection, such as drop-down menus. They argued that the current questionnaire lacks dedicated provisions for respondents to identify as Other Backward Classes (OBCs), which could prevent accurate assessments of socio-economic status.

By September 2026, the criticism intensified. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh described the census process as ‘totally perverted’ with ‘very dubious’ intent, labeling certain content as ‘worthless, superfluous and diabolical.’ Concerns were also raised by former officials regarding the quality of data collection and potential links between the census, the National Population Register, and the National Register of Citizens. The party noted the government’s decision to advance the Population Enumeration phase in four states facing upcoming elections.

On September 11, 2026, senior leader Nana Patole accused the central government of attempting to shift the OBC population into the general category through the census design. Following a meeting with Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Patole alleged that flaws in the enumeration form, specifically Question No. 10, fail to account for regional nomenclatures of sub-castes like the Kunbi and Banjara. The Congress delegation urged the adoption of census models used in Bihar and Telangana, noting that previous formal representations from Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi have reportedly gone unanswered.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-11: Congress alleges central census scheme targets OBC classification

Congress leader Nana Patole has accused the Indian government of using the caste census process to move OBC populations into the general category, calling for more accurate regional classification.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/congress-alleges-central-census-scheme-targets-obc-classification

### 2026-09-10: Congress party criticizes Census 2027 intent and content

The Congress party has attacked the Census 2027 plan, calling its intent ‘dubious’ and criticizing new questions and the potential links to the National Register of Citizens.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/congress-party-criticizes-census-2027-intent-and-content

### 2026-08-18: Congress alleges Modi government is sabotaging 2027 caste census

The Congress party alleges the Modi government is sabotaging the 2027 Census by omitting caste drop-down menus and specific provisions for OBC identification, undermining social justice efforts.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/congress-alleges-modi-government-is-sabotaging-2027-caste-census

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Cite as: Indian Congress opposition to 2027 Census. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/indian-congress-opposition-to-2027-census