Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday announced that his party will conduct a caste census within two hours if they win the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
Rahul Gandhi during a public rally in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region announced that his party will conduct a caste census within two hours if they win the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, and also in Chhattisgarh if they win the assembly elections scheduled next month, reported IE.
He as per the report also made a new promise of free education in government schools from — “KG To PG”.
He began his speech by listing the three big promises made by the Congress before coming to power in 2018 in the state and how they were fulfilled soon after winning the elections, the report said.
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“About paddy procurement, which is seen as a major success for the Congress, Gandhi hinted that the rate may increase in the future,” the report mentioned.
He also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of caste census and “choosing to help industrialists over poor and backward people”.
“Any government functions in two ways. One way is by helping rich people in the state and second is by helping poor people in the state. We help the poor, labourers, farmers, unemployed, tribals, Dalit and backward people. Their government makes tall claims and in the end helps Adani ji. As Baghel ji said, mines, airports, ports are given to Adani. Farm laws were made to help Adani. The apple business in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir is given to Adani,”he was quoted as having said.
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“We know this country cannot stand or progress till we help poor and weaker sections. The money given to farmers comes in the market and helps the village and small cities to prosper. But money given to industrialists is spent by them in buying properties abroad,” he was quoted as having said.
“BJP has started a new thing. Modi ji says, wherever he goes, that he works for backward people and OBC. You (Modi) use the word OBC everywhere, then why fear OBC caste census. Why do you not use the word caste census in your speech? Because you know OBC people are poorly represented (in the government). You know this reality and do not want the OBC youth to know this,” he said, as per the report.
He said that out of the 90 IAS officers who work as secretaries to the government of India, only three are OBC, it mentioned.
“These 90 officials run the government and not the Members of Parliament from Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha. They decide the budget. In them just three are from the OBC i.e., they decided only 5% of the budget. So does it mean OBC population is just 5% in India? I believe the OBC population is 50-55% in India. But Modi ji does not want the OBC youth to know this reality. OBC youth need to be aware, you are being robbed,” he was quoted as having said.
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“Today I promise every OBC youth that a caste census will be done within two hours of our party coming to power in India. If we win in Chhattisgarh, we will do a caste census here,” he said, the report mentioned.
