Rahul Gandhi backs caste census again, promises to remove 50% quota limit

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday once again advocated for a caste census, saying the exercise will happen in the country and it will show the injustice meted out to Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. The true meaning of a caste census is justice, he said, adding that his party will also "break the wall of 50 per cent" reservation limit.

Addressing the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Nagpur ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha hit out at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing them of attacking the Constitution and thereby attacking the "voice of the country". "Caste census will give justice to general (category), Dalits, Adivasis, minorities, women and all others," he said. "Caste census will make everything clear. Everyone will come to know how much power they wield and what our role is," he said, adding," We will also break the 50 per cent wall."  The Constitution drafted by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is not just a book but a way of life and philosophy of life. Likewise, caste census is a paradigm of development, he said.

 

"It will bring clarity and a new paradigm. Hence, BJP and RSS are discussing what position they should take and what they should say on caste census, Gandhi added.

"I want to tell you that whatever you do, the caste census will happen. Do whatever discussion you want to do on it or is projected in the media, the people of India have decided that caste census will happen and the wall of 50 per cent will be broken. And this voice is slowly increasing. Our work is that of amplification and to make people understand that caste census will save the Constitution," he said. Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, "Whenever I talk about caste census, Modi ji says that Rahul Gandhi is trying to divide the nation. We have to tell the country that we are fighting to secure justice for over 90 per cent marginalised people in the country."  The event was organised at the Suresh Bhatt Hall in Reshimbagh area of Nagpur, which is adjacent to Dr Hedgewar Smruti Mandir, a memorial of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. The Constitution talks about equality, one man-one vote, respect for all and every religion, caste, state and language.

"But when people from the RSS and BJP attack the Constitution, they are not just attacking this book, but, but they are attacking the voice of the nation," he said. Gandhi said that several institutions in the country, like the Election Commission, were a gift of the Constitution. "Kings and princes did not have an Election Commission," he said. "You will not find a single Dalit, OBC and Adivasi in Adani company management," he said.

"You waive Rs 16 lakh crore debts of just 25 people, but when I speak of farmers' loan waiver, I am attacked for changing habits of these people," he added.

The biggest question before us is that there is no representation of Dalits, OBCs, tribals in government higher ranks, judiciary, corporates and other important establishments. You will not find 90 per cent of India there, he said. Five per cent of people are running the country and they only benefit when the stock market soars, he said. Without the Constitution, there will be no public healthcare and educational institutions like IITs, IIMs, he added.

"The RSS cannot directly attack the Constitution because they are afraid that they would lose if they do so. Hence, they attack secretly and in various forms and by using words like 'vikas' (development), 'pragati' (progress), economy and others, but their aim is to stab from behind. If they had guts, they would have attacked from the front," the former Congress president said.

The RSS attacks the Constitution indirectly through its educational institutions like Shishu Mandirs and Eklavya schools, he said.

Stating that the land on which Hedgewar Smruti Mandir stands must be worth crores of rupees, Gandhi questioned the source of money to run the RSS' Shishu Mandirs and claimed that the money comes from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other BJP-ruled states.

"It is the money of national highways and you can also call it 'vikas' money. This is Gujarat model money, Ambani and Adani's money," he claimed.

Words like respect are being used a lot but what is the value of respect if a person is dying of hunger. It is better to empower that person using money and power and make him competent, and he would not need your respect after that.