The BJP on Thursday said the Centre's decision to include caste enumeration in the next census has exposed the difference between the Modi government's "true intentions" and the "empty sloganeering" of the Congress.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, an OBC face of the ruling party, termed the caste census announcement a "gamechanger decision", a move the Congress and its allies have claimed was brought about due to their campaign.

The senior BJP leader, however, pushed back against such claims as he accused the Congress of obstructing the goal of social justice during its long rule, starting from the time of Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first prime minister.

"The politics of Congress has always revolved around its ruling family and power. They were uncomfortable whenever the rights of the backward classes were raised because they never truly cared about social justice," Pradhan alleged, noting that the party did not act on the reports of the Kaka Kalelkar Committee and the Mandal Commission.

Unlike the Congress, the BJP has been driven by the agenda of social justice with Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensuring significant representation from the marginalised communities at various levels, including at the Centre and states, and in key positions such as chief ministers, deputy chief ministers, Union ministers and legislators, Pradhan said.

"The gamechanger decision has exposed the difference between our true intentions and the empty sloganeering by the opposition, although it has been welcomed by most opposition parties," Pradhan said.

He stressed that the decision was not taken suddenly, noting that 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' has been the guiding vision of the Modi government.

"Social justice has been the objective of all our programmes and schemes. It has been our aim to provide benefits, facilities and conveniences to all sections of society in a scientific manner," Pradhan said.

The Union education minister said the government has drawn on data and experience from the past 11 years and seeks to design policies that are more precise, inclusive, and fair with the caste census.

Noting that this step has been widely welcomed across political lines and social spectrum, Pradhan said it reflected the strong foundation of social justice and good governance being laid under the leadership of Modi.

With the Congress crediting its leader Rahul Gandhi's long campaign demanding such a census for the government's decision, Pradhan hit back, saying the opposition, especially the Gandhis, is steeped in arrogance and hypocrisy despite its repeated electoral defeats.

He also claimed Rahul Gandhi is an opponent of social justice and is speaking about it just for political gains, adding that Home Minister Amit Shah had indicated about the government's positive take on caste census around a year back.

Taking a swipe, he said, "Changing the cover of a book does not change its content. Similarly, the Congress' character has always been opportunistic and centred around vote-bank politics. Their statements reveal that for them, social justice is merely a political tool for gains." The government on Wednesday announced that caste enumeration will be included in the forthcoming census exercise, as it slammed the opposition parties for using caste surveys as a "political tool".

The opposition parties, including the Congress, have been demanding a nationwide caste census, making it a major election issue. Some states like Bihar, Telangana and Karnataka have already conducted such surveys.

"When this decision was taken yesterday, some people got upset. They said 'the government is theirs (ruling party), but the system is ours (opposition)'," Pradhan said.

"To bring social justice on track, the Mandal Commission was formed under the Janata Party government of 1977. Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the BJP, was part of that government," he said.

Stating that the Mandal Commission report was "locked in a dungeon" for 10 years, Pradhan said, "In whose hands was the government and the system then?" "When the Mandal Commission (recommendations) was implemented, what was the statement of former prime minister Rajiv (Gandhi) ji? What was the stand of the Congress," he asked.

The "arrogance" and "hypocrisy" of those who say "the government is theirs but the system is ours" is being clearly exposed, Pradhan said.

Welcoming the government's "sudden" decision on caste census after "11 years of opposing it", Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Centre should fix a timeline for its implementation.

Crediting a sustained campaign run by the Congress behind the government announcing the caste census, Rahul Gandhi said his immediate suspicion was that "this could go the women's bill way" in terms of implementation, and demanded a specific date for it.

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