Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday admitted that it was his “mistake” and not that of the party that they could not get a caste census conducted earlier, as he could not understand their problems, like those of the dalits and added he is correcting that now.
He made the remarks while addressing the Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan of the OBC department at Talkatora Stadium here.
He also said that 90 per cent of people in the country are facing injustice and they are not getting the real value of their hard work, and it is our work to make them socially and economically stronger so that they can become a part of the country’s growth.
Rahul Gandhi said that he had committed a “mistake” in his political career of 21 years after entering it in 2004.
He said his mistake was that he did not protect the interests of the Other Backwards Classes (OBC) section as much as he should have done.
The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said that he understood the problems of the Dalits and Backwards, but the problems of OBCs were not very visible to him.
He also asserted that the caste census carried out in Telangana is a “political earthquake” that will cause a huge “aftershock” in the country.
He mentioned that the 21st century belongs to data and said, “21st century belongs to data and the data that we got in Telangana through which we can tell how much SC, STs and OBCs are working in any corporate sector.”
“We have the data and through that we know the lakhs and crore of people from the SC, ST and OBC communities are not getting their packages,” he said, adding that if we bring out rhe data of the MGNREGA and gig workers then we will understand that in the same most are from SC, ST and OBC communities.
He also jibed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he keeps on claiming about Hindu India, whereas 50 per cent of Hindus are OBC.
If Hindu India is there, then in corporate and media, why are OBCs not there? Why in the big anchor lists there are from OBCs, and the government is snatching the lands of SC, STs and OBCs and giving them to businessmen?
It is the reason why we said that wherever there is a Congress government, we will conduct caste based census so that we can know how much participation is of the OBC community, he said.
He also asserted that any country is run by its productive force and that productive force provides the country with essential things like buildings, roads, schools and colleges, tools, etc.
“So my question is, if you build the country with your blood, sweat and hard work, then what does the country give you?” Rahul Gandhi asked.
“The answer is – the rights of OBCs, tribals and Dalits are killed through Annual Confidential Report (ACR). If you look at the big ministries at the national level, you will not find the names of OBCs, tribals and Dalits there,” he added.
He also mentioned that BJP leaders say that we will wipe out English from India.
“Ask them – where do their children study? Their children study abroad, do they study in Hindi medium there? Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Kannada… all such regional languages are important, but along with these, English is also important,” he said, taking a potshot at the BJP.
He also asserted that the media has just made Modi a balloon. “I have met him. It is just a show-off, there is no substance,” he added.
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