New Delhi/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday slammed Rahul Gandhi for emphasising the need for a caste census a day after the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said the exercise will help expose the "truth of inequality and discrimination" in the country.

"At the Kumbh Mela, no one asked about caste. No one insulted anyone. No one got dengue or malaria. No one pelted stones at one another. Despite understanding the strength of Sanatan Dharma, you still choose to talk about caste?" BJP MP Dinesh Sharma was quoted as saying in media reports.

"You (Gandhi) have lost. The more you ask, the more you will lose," he said, taking a dig at the Congress's loss in the Lok Sabha elections last year.

The Congress had promised to conduct a nationwide caste census if it was voted to power.

On Thursday evening, Gandhi, in a post on X, said: "Caste census is an important step towards bringing out the truth of this inequality, while its opponents do not want to let this truth come out."

He also posted a video of his interaction with former University Grants Commission chairman and academician Sukhdeo Thorat.

"We discussed the importance of this Satyagraha with Prof. Thorat, a well-known educationist, economist, expert on Dalit issues, and member of the study committee on caste survey in Telangana. During this time, we also discussed in detail the struggle of Dalits for access to governance, education, bureaucracy, and resources that is still going on," he wrote.

"On 20 March 1927, Babasaheb Ambedkar directly challenged caste discrimination through the Mahad Satyagraha. This was not just a fight for the right to water, but also for equality and respect," Gandhi said.

The Congress leader also slammed the country's merit-based system, calling it "deeply flawed" and "unfair" towards Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and tribals.