- By Vivek Raj
- Mon, 25 Sep 2023 05:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday while addressing a rally in Chattisgarh, pledged that his party will conduct a "caste census" if they are elected to power, emphasising that such an initiative is essential for the participation of marginalised groups, including OBCs, Dalits, tribals, and women.
He also questioned why the Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has not released the details of the caste census previously conducted during Congress' tenure and sought to know whether the PM is afraid of such an exercise.
Addressing the state government's 'Awas Nyay Sammelan' in Parsada (Sakri) village in Bilaspur, Rahul Gandhi waved a remote at the crowd, asserting that the Congress benefits the poor and needy when it presses, but when BJP does the same, it favors big businesses like Adani with ports, airports, and railway contracts.
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Gandhi mentioned that the Congress had previously conducted a caste census, which contains population data for every caste in the country. He claimed that the Union government possesses this report, but Prime Minister Modi is unwilling to disclose it.
"Caste census has to be conducted if we want to give participation to Other Backward Classes, Dalits, tribals and women. If Modiji does not conduct a caste census, then when we are elected to power our first step will be to conduct a caste census to ensure OBC participation," Gandhi said.
Gandhi also spotlighted the influence of bureaucrats and cabinet secretaries in the government, noting that only three of the 90 secretaries in various Union government ministries are from OBC backgrounds, controlling just 5 per cent of the country's budget. He questioned whether the OBC population in India constituted only 5 per cent, underlining the significance of conducting a caste census.
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During the event, Rahul Gandhi launched the Bhupesh Baghel government's 'Gramin Awas Nyay Yojna (GANY),' aimed at providing financial assistance to homeless individuals and families with kutcha houses in rural areas.
Gandhi also mentioned his previous disqualification as an MP and suggested it was due to questioning PM Modi's ties with Adani. His Lok Sabha membership was briefly canceled after he made remarks about why individuals with the surname Modi were involved in theft, but the Supreme Court later stayed his conviction, restoring his membership in the Lower House.
