Is the Congress Rebranding Expired Products?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Congress accused of rebranding outdated narratives
- Naqvi emphasizes India's transformation
- 16th census set for 2027
- Political clash reflects deeper societal issues
- Importance of demographic data for governance
New Delhi, June 17 (NationPress) In response to the Congress's strong criticism regarding the Centre’s latest gazette notification on the upcoming 16th national census, which notably lacks any reference to caste enumeration, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi retaliated by accusing the historic party of “rebranding expired products” and misleading the public.
During a rebuttal to Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, who labeled the notification as a “damp squib” and claimed it merely reiterated earlier announcements made on April 30, Naqvi delivered a scathing response.
“The Congress factory keeps putting new labels on expired products and trying to market them, but these efforts have repeatedly failed and been defeated,” Naqvi declared.
“How long will the Congress keep telling the country that this port was inaugurated by late PM Nehru, this railway was flagged off by Pandit Nehru, or that this road had a signboard installed by him? For how long will you keep showing the country these outdated papers and pretending they are still relevant?” he continued.
Naqvi accused the Congress of being trapped in the past and unable to embrace the transformation that India has experienced in recent years.
“Today’s India is not dependent on Congress. It is 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', a self-reliant India. There’s a new atmosphere of development and trust in the country. But the Congress is unwilling to accept this change,” he remarked.
He further added, “You are still showcasing the expired products of the Congress factory, trying to convince the world that everything happening in India today is due to late PMs Nehru or Indira Gandhi. Those products have expired; they hold no value either inside or outside anymore.”
The Centre announced a notification for conducting India’s 16th Census in 2027, sixteen years after the previous exercise in 2011.
This census is set to be conducted with a reference date of October 1, 2026, in snow-bound areas like Ladakh and March 1, 2027, for the rest of the country.
Earlier on Monday, Jairam Ramesh stated, “It is quite a damp squib and merely repeats what had already been announced on April 30, 2025.”
He asserted that it was only due to the “persistence and insistence” of the Congress that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was compelled to agree to a caste census, yet the latest notification remained silent on the issue.