By Archana Sharma

Jaipur, Apr 23 (IANS): At a time when the Congress recently raised the pitch for the caste-based census, demanding the Centre to release the data and remove the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation which according to it would help the underprivileged, the Congress-ruled state Rajasthan is quiet on the matter and is yet to issue its statement.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has not yet made any statement on Rahul Gandhi's demand and his silence on the issue is being discussed across political circles.

Veteran leaders said, "Gehlot is fighting hard to repeat his government in forthcoming Rajasthan Assembly polls. This is a poll-bound state which is ruled by Congress government. So issuing any such statement at this point of time can spell blunder."

Other leaders said that Gehlot himself is leading the show from the front and he has set a legacy by announcing a flurry of social security schemes which have made a national mark. He is leading the show with his work and not by caste-based demands, and hence he wants to stay quiet.

"The issue of reservation in Rajasthan had already created a national challenge when Gujjars blocked railway tracks demanding reservation. After much deliberation, the issue was resolved under the MBC quota. So the chief minister this time, doesn't want to open a pandora box," said a Gujjar leader.

It needs to be mentioned here that demanding more quota for Dalits and tribals based on their population, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the underprivileged needs economic and political power and not empty words.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge further wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding an up-to-date caste census, and said meaningful social justice and empowerment programmes are incomplete without such data.