New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has welcomed the Centre's decision to include caste data in the upcoming national census, calling it a long-overdue move to ensure equitable policy-making.In a post on X, Owaisi lauded Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for leading India's first-ever caste census in an Independent state, which revealed that 56.32 per cent of the population belongs to Backward Castes."The Centre has agreed to include caste data in the upcoming census exercise. This was needed urgently and it was a long-pending demand of many groups. I'd also made the same demand since 2021. I congratulate and thank Telangana CM Revanth Reddy for his leadership in implementing the historic Caste Census in Telangana," Owaisi said."This was the first-ever initiative of its kind in Independent India, revealing 56.32 per cent of the state has Backward Castes (BC) population. Telangana took the extraordinary decision to propose to implement 42 per cent BC reservations also," the Hyderabad MP said.Owaisi also emphasised the urgent need to collect comprehensive data on the backwardness of Muslim communities, urging the BJP-led Centre to ensure transparency and policy alignment with the findings."The need of the hour is proper data on the backwardness of Muslims, including the various castes/groups among Muslims. NSSO & other data clearly demonstrates that Muslims are economically, socially & educationally backward. BJP has opposed SC-status for Dalit Muslims; it's also opposed reservations for backward Muslims," the AIMIM Chief said."It's for BJP to be intellectually honest. The data must be collected transparently & put in the public domain. Policies of the government must be consistent with the census data. The most backward communities should get their fair share in education & employment," Asaduddin Owaisi said.Earlier, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had criticised previous Congress governments for opposing caste-based enumeration."Caste was not included in all the census operations conducted since Independence. In 2010, the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ji had assured the Lok Sabha that the matter of caste census would be considered in the Cabinet. A group of ministers was formed to consider this subject. Most political parties recommended a caste census. Despite this, the Congress government decided to conduct only a survey of caste instead of a census. That survey is known as SECC," Vaishnaw said.He further noted that the inclusion of caste enumeration would strengthen the country's social and economic structure."Under the leadership of PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee of Political Affairs has decided today that caste enumeration should be included in the forthcoming census. This demonstrates that the government is committed to the values and interests of the society and the country," he said. (ANI)