Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah has defended Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks about increasing reservations for backward communities to 75%, challenging the BJP to support a nationwide caste census to ensure social justice. During his US trip, Gandhi suggested scrapping reservations only when India achieves fairness, sparking backlash from BJP leaders who accused him of being anti-reservation. Gandhi clarified that he was misquoted and reiterated his commitment to increasing the reservation quota beyond the 50% cap. This controversy highlights the ongoing debate over affirmative action in India and the complex historical relationship the Congress party has had with reservation policies.