India, May 1 -- A day after the Union Cabinet approved the inclusion of caste census in the upcoming national census, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a sharp attack on the Congress, accusing it of historical opposition to social justice and caste-based reservations.

"When this decision was taken yesterday, some people were visibly agitated. They were saying 'the government is theirs, but the system is ours.' Now that the issue is finally being addressed, there should be an open discussion. The country deserves to know the truth. Who was in power in 1951? Who controlled the system then?" Pradhan asked while addressing a press conference on Thursday.

Pradhan said reservations exist today because of leaders like Ambedkar and Gan...