Rajasthan Assembly elections 2023
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Nov. 21 raised the caste census pitch, describing it as an ‘X-ray’ of the country.
“If it is not known whose population is how much, then how will we talk about participation,” he said while addressing an election rally in Vallabhnagar in Udaipur.
Mr. Gandhi said the Congress will conduct caste census in Rajasthan if it comes to power and also do so at the national level if the party forms the government at the Centre.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, he said earlier the PM used to say he is from OBC but the day he (Gandhi) raised the demand of caste census, Mr. Modi started saying there is only once caste in India- the poor.
“Modi said there is only one caste in the country- the poor but he did not say that there is another caste of billionaires also. That is Adani, Ambani’s caste. They have a special caste,” he said.
The former Congress president charged that Mr. Modi’s job is to divert public attention while Adani pickpockets and added that “they are a team”.
‘PM means Panauti Modi’
Later in the day, while addressing a rally in Baytoo in Balotra ahead of the November 25 Assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “PM means Panauti Modi”, insinuating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brings bad luck.
Referring to India’s loss in the cricket world cup final against Australia, Mr. Gandhi used the term associated with bad luck. The word ‘panauti’ has been trending on social media since the defeat in the match, attended by Prime Minister Modi at the Ahmedabad stadium named after him.
Mr. Gandhi alleged Mr. Modi diverts people’s attention while industrialist Adani picks their pockets.
He said Modi “comes on TV and says ‘Hindu- Muslim’ and sometimes goes to a cricket match. It is a different matter that the match was lost. Panauti.” “PM means Panauti Modi,” Mr. Gandhi continued.
The Congress leader also alleged that Mr. Modi waived loans of big industrialists and gave them all advantages.
