Will force Centre to conduct caste census: Rahul in MP

Beohari: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday termed the caste census an “X-ray of the country” that will throw light on the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals who are “injured”, and said his party would force the Centre to conduct this exercise “come what may”.

He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not speaking on the issue of caste census.

Addressing a public meeting at Beohari in Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, a day after the dates for the state Assembly polls were announced, Gandhi said BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh is a “laboratory of BJP and RSS”.

“Caste census is an X-ray of the country. Tribals, Dalits, and OBCs of the country are injured. Let us check...It will clear the picture”, he said.

“We will force the Central government to conduct a caste census, come what may, to know the truth about the condition of OBCs, Dalits and tribals in the country. Our governments in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh have initiated a process for it,” Gandhi added.

He said the Congress was talking about caste census because people belonging to scheduled caste, OBCs and tribals should get their due rights.

He said the Congress “challenged” PM Narendra Modi to release the data of the caste census done by Congress, but instead of talking about it, he talks about Pakistan, Afghanistan and the South.

The former Congress president claimed only 90 top officers run the country and control the budget but only three of them belong to the OBC (Other Backward Classes) category.

He also alleged that tribal officers don’t even make decisions of “Re 1 or 25 paisa”. “They make decisions about only 10 paisa”..

“(On an average), three farmers commit suicide daily (in MP); tribals are insulted. A BJP leader urinated on a tribal while the government posts were being sold,” Gandhi alleged.

“The Congress had introduced the PESA and Forest Rights Act, under which only the Gram Sabha can take a decision about giving the land but the BJP said that there was no need to seek permission,” Gandhi said.

During his visit to Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, PM Modi on Monday said the Opposition party has played with the emotions of the poor and divided the country on caste lines for six decades.