PM Modi Rahul Gandhi caste census, recalls Manmohan’s 2006 ‘Muslim minority’ remark
PM Modi Rahul Gandhi caste census, recalls Manmohan’s 2006 ‘Muslim minority’ remark
The Nitish Kumar government on Monday revealed the findings of the caste-based census in Bihar that has sent political parties back to the drawing board.
On Tuesday, PM Modi invoked ex-PM Manmohan Singh to make an open assault on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘greater the population, greater the rights” remark on the Bihar caste census.
In the midst of addressing
BJP’s ‘Parivartan Mahasankalp’ rally at Jagdalpur in poll bound Chhattisgarh, PM Modi reacted to Gandhi’s recent remark which contradicted Congress veteran Singh’s famous 2006 remark that minorities must have the “first claim” on the country’s resources.
PM Modi added that since Monday, Congress leaders have been saying, ‘jitni aabadi utna haq” (greater the population, greater the rights)”. He wondered what the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be thinking.
He used to say that the minority, particularly Muslims, has the first right to the country’s resources… But as of now the Congress says that the population of the community will determine who will have the first right to the country’s resources. It apparently seems that the Congress wants to decrease the rights of the minority and remove the minorities.
So, should the Hindus,with
the largest population, come forward and take all their rights?”
Meanwhile, the Nitish Kumar government on Monday revealed the findings of the caste-based census in Bihar that sent political parties back to the drawing board in view of next year’s general elections. As per survey only 15.52 percent people of Bihar belonged to the general category. The extremely backward class comprise 36.01 percent of the total population, other backward class 27 percent, the Scheduled Castes 19.65 percent and the Scheduled Tribes 1.68 percent.
The data also revealed that 81.99 percent of the state’s population was Hindu, 17.7 percent Muslim.
The members of the opposition block, INDIA alliance, demands the Bihar caste census model be replicated across the country.
Reacting to the Bihar census, Gandhi, a vociferous critic of Prime Minister Modi and his government’s policies made a demand for a nationwide caste census. In a bid to drive home his point, Gandhi claimed that out of the 90 Government of India secretaries, only 3 belonged to the other backward class.
Whereas Rahul Gandhi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that
the caste census of Bihar reveals that OBC, SC, ST are 84% there. As against 90 secretaries of the Central government, only 3 are OBC, who handle only 5% of India’s budget! Therefore, it is pertinent to know the caste statistics of India. The greater the population, the greater the rights.
PM Modi at the rally on Monday accused the Congress of attempting to divide the country on the lines of caste.
PM Modi has sought to neutralise the opposition’s caste census push saying those afflicted with poverty form the biggest social group in the country.
News Edit K.V.Raman
