Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Meharma, Godda district, Jharkhand, on Friday, declared that the day a caste census is conducted, it will transform the country's political landscape and promised to increase reservation for STs, SCs and OBCs.
He asserted that after the caste census, Dalits, tribals, Backward Classes, and the poor would recognise their true strength, which would kick-start a new era in Indian politics.
LoP Rahul Gandhi emphasised that even if the BJP continues to reject the demand for a caste census, the Congress party will continue pushing for it.
"Once we have the true numbers of Dalits, tribals, and Backward Classes, we will remove the 50 per cent reservation ceiling," he said.
Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of reducing the reservation for Backward Classes in Jharkhand from 27 to 14 per cent and promised that under a Congress-led government, reservation would be increased for STs from 26 per cent to 28 per cent, SCs from 10 per cent to 12 per cent, and OBCs from 14 per cent to 27 per cent.
Describing the elections in Jharkhand and Maharashtra as a battle of ideologies, not just for political power, Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP and RSS were attempting to undermine the Constitution, while the Congress and the INDIA bloc were fighting to uphold it.
Training guns at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he quipped, "Modi ji says that Rahul Gandhi is showing a 'Lal Kitab (Red Book)' and its pages are blank. He says this because he hasn't read it. If he had, he wouldn't be spreading hatred and violence in the country."
Rahul Gandhi also highlighted the stark underrepresentation of marginalised communities in the top echelons of the bureaucracy.
"There are 90 officers who control all your GST and decide how funds are distributed. Only one of these 90 is a tribal, despite their population being 8 per cent. The Backward Classes, who make up at least 50 per cent of the population, have just three officers among them, controlling decisions over only Rs 5 out of every Rs 100," Rahul Gandhi pointed out.
He reminded the people that in Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren, who belongs to a tribal community, has been targeted by the BJP and RSS, even being sent to jail.
Outlining the Congress party's promises for Jharkhand, Rahul Gandhi pledged a direct deposit of Rs 2,500 per month into women's accounts, increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy to Rs 3,200, and launching a healthcare insurance scheme worth up to Rs 15 lakh for the poor. "If the poor fall ill, they won't have to pay a single rupee for treatment," Rahul Gandhi assured.
Emphasising the Congress party's vision -- a country for everyone, not just for billionaires, Rahul Gandhi said, "Farmers must be respected and given fair opportunities."
"Billionaires have benefited from GST, while demonetisation devastated small businesses. The Jharkhand government will aim to create 10 lakh jobs in the next five years," Rahul Gandhi vowed.
(With inputs from IANS)
