The Jharkhand Congress has called on the Centre to include a Sarna religion code in the Census to recognize the distinct religious identity of tribal communities. State Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh and CLP leader Pradeep Yadav highlighted that over 1.25 crore people in India follow the tribal Sarna faith, yet there is no specific code for it in Census forms. This long-standing demand by tribal communities has been consistently overlooked by the Central government.
The Congress leaders criticized the Centre for failing to acknowledge the unique religious and cultural identity of tribal people. They emphasized that the party will persist in advocating for the inclusion of the Sarna religion code, both through public demonstrations and legislative efforts. Additionally, concerns were raised about the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, with allegations that numerous voters’ names are being unjustly removed nationwide.
Expressing apprehension over the electoral roll revision process, the Congress leaders warned of potential mass deletions of voter names, which could impinge on democratic rights. In Jharkhand, where the Election Commission is preparing to commence the revision in June, the party affirmed its commitment to closely monitoring the proceedings. Furthermore, the Congress has initiated efforts to strengthen its organizational presence at the grassroots level in the state to safeguard voters’ inclusion in the electoral rolls.
Criticism was also directed at the Centre’s economic policies and the escalating inflation rates. The leaders highlighted the continuous rise in fuel and essential commodity prices, imposing additional financial strain on the general populace. Addressing the alleged NEET paper leak incident, the Congress demanded a thorough investigation by the Central government. They underscored the importance of addressing systemic irregularities in examinations to secure the future of students.
