Asserting that a caste census would ensure “participation of OBCs, Dalits, tribals and women”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said his party would conduct the exercise if it was voted to power.
“Caste census has to be conducted if we want to give participation to Other Backward Classes, Dalits, tribals and women. If [Prime Minister Narendra] Modiji does not conduct a caste census, then when we are elected to power our first step will be to conduct a caste census to ensure OBC participation,” Mr. Gandhi said in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur where he was addressing the State government’s Awas Nyay Sammelan in Parsada village.
Like the rest of mainland India, OBCs are predominant in the central plains of Chhattisgarh, i.e. the areas beyond the tribal zones of Sarguja and Bastar where a major chunk of the Assembly segments fall. Referring to caste census as the X ray of Hindustan, Mr. Gandhi pointed out that only three or 5% of the 90 secretaries in the Central government who deal with policy and the money allocation were from the backward communities.
“And these these control 5% of India’s budget. Are there only 5% OBCs? When questioned, their Ministers say we have OBC MPs and MLAs. And these MPs and MLAs say no one asks us anything on policy matters. Real decision making is done by secretaries and Modi. Caste census will have to be done,” he said.
The former Congress president further questioned why the Narendra Modi government had not released the details of a ‘caste census’ conducted by the Congress (when it was in power) and asked if the PM was afraid of such an exercise.
Launching the Chhattisgarh Gramin Awas Nyay Yojana (GANY) of the Bhupesh Baghel-led Congress government, Mr. Gandhi sought to turn the tables on the Bharatiya Janata Party whose leaders, including Prime Minister Modi, have attacked the State government over rural housing and alleged non-implementation of the Pradhanmantri Awaas Yojana (Rural).
While the BJP alleges that 16 lakh beneficiaries have missed out and even Deputy Chief Minister T S Singh Deo had claimed last year that nearly eight lakh houses meant for the poor under the PMAY (R) could not be constructed under the Congress government because it did not pay its share, Mr. Gandhi on Monday said that the Government of India had in fact blocked payments to be disbursed to the State for the scheme’s implementation.
“Seven lakh people who were eligible to get houses from the money sent from the Government in Delhi could not get it. For them too, the Chhattisgarh government is giving money. The Chhattisgarh government has on several occasions requested the government in Delhi to fulfil its responsibility but it does not fulfil it,” said Mr. Gandhi of the scheme that provides financial assistance to the homeless and families having kutcha houses in rural areas. Under GANY, a total of 10 lakh 76 thousand people will benefit.
Displaying the remote through which the transfer of money for the GANY and other schemes were initiated, Mr. Gandhi said that there were two remote controls, one of the Congress that provided benefits to the people while the other being PM Narendra Modi’s remote control to give to [businessman Gautam] Adani. Citing various government initiatives, he further defended his party’s record of delivering on poll promises in poll bound Chhattisgarh.
After the Bilaspur event was concluded, Mr. Gandhi took a train to Raipur, where elections are to be held at the end of the year. The ruling Congress has claimed the Railway Ministry had cancelled 2,600 trains in the state in the last few months, causing hardship to people.
