Madhya Pradesh is an “epicentre of corruption”, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said at a public rally in Shajapur district of the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on September 30, while reiterating his party’s demand for a caste census to know the number other backward classes (OBCs) in the country.
Mr. Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not giving OBCs their “rightful share” in governance, promised to conduct a country-wide caste-census if his party came to power and asserted that three of the four Congress-ruled States have OBC Chief Ministers.
In contrast, he pointed out, just three out of the 90 topmost officials and secretaries of the government of India are OBCs.
‘Caste-based census’
“Soon after coming to power, the first thing we will do is to go for a caste-based census to know the exact number of OBCs and -sections of people for the benefit of all. No one knows their exact number,” the Congress leader said, addressing a rally at Kalapipal Assembly constituency in Shajapur.
Mr. Gandhi said though the BJP tries to showcase their OBC MPs and MLAs, the actual decision making lies with the “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), handful of government officials and capitalists”.
Calling the fight between the BJP and the Congress as a fight between the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and his assassin, Nathuram Godse, the Congress leader accused Mr. Modi of using diversionary tactics at the behest of RSS and distracted public attention by spreading hatred. On the other hand, Mr. Gandhi claimed his party believed in spreading love and brotherhood.
“The RSS and bureaucrats are framing laws instead of elected BJP members...The RSS has given the job to the government to divert people’s attention from core issues,” he said.
‘18,000 farmer deaths in past 18 years’
Focussing on the local issues of Madhya Pradesh, Mr. Gandhi claimed that as many as 18,000 farmers have died by suicide in the past 18 years. “It means that three farmers end their lives every day in the State,” he alleged.
“Madhya Pradesh is an epicentre of corruption in the country. Scams like Vyapam have rocked the State. MBBS degrees are being sold, exam papers are being leaked, and (there is corruption) in the construction of Mahakal Lok corridor, among others,” Mr. Gandhi added.
He accused the BJP of working for the benefit of a few industrialists like Gautam Adani. “After I spoke about Adani ji in the House, the BJP quashed my Lok Sabha membership. I don’t bother, I will speak the truth,” he asserted.
On the women's reservation law, Mr. Gandhi said that it would take around 10 years to implement, and wondered why it does not have reservation for women from Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.
Former Chief Minister and State Congress chief Kamal Nath also addressed the rally. Senior party leaders, Dijvijaya Singh, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Jitu Patwari and Govind Singh also attended the rally in the poll-bound State.
