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BIG STORY AUGUST 09, 2024 | The Indian Eye 4
CASTE CENSUS
CONGRESS
CORNERS BJP
The BJP-led ruling NDA comes under pressure as Rahul Gandhi pushes hard
for a caste-based census. BJP’s top leaders reply with humor and aggression,
but the Congress party seems to have an upper hand at the moment
OUR BUREAU Thakur’s speech quickly pivoted
to a sharp critique of Congress and
New Delhi
its leaders. He highlighted the Con-
he Congress party promised to gress’s historical opposition to OBC
pass a constitutional amend- reservations and accused them of be-
Tment to raise the Supreme ing disconnected from the realities of
Court mandated 50 per cent cap on caste and community issues.
reservations for Scheduled Castes Thakur’s remarks, punctuated
(SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and by historical references and literary
Other Backward Classes (OBC), as citations, underscored his defense
per its poll manifesto. The party also of the BJP’s policies and symbol
promised to conduct a nation-wide while attacking the Congress’s leg-
Socio-Economic and Caste Census to acy and leadership. Notably, Rahul
enumerate the castes and sub-castes Gandhi drew parallels from the Ma-
and their socio-economic conditions. habharata, on Monday and attacked
Now, the party under the leader- the Bharatiya Janata Party over the
ship of Leader of Opposition Rahul Union Budget saying that there’s
Gandhi is attacking the ruling party an atmosphere of fear in the coun-
and pushing it into a corner. try, adding that the country is now
On Tuesday, after a heated de- trapped in a “Chakravyuh of lotus,”
bate, Rahul accused BJP MP Anu- referring to the BJP’s symbol.
rag Thakur of “abusing and insult- Later in a related development,
ing” him in the Lok Sabha during Prime Minister Narendra Modi on
the discussion on the Union Budget Tuesday applauded BJP leader Anu-
on Tuesday. Anurag Thakur en- rag Thakur for his speech in the Lok
tered into a heated argument with Sabha on Tuesday, where the latter
Rahul Gandhi during his speech in responded to Leader of Opposition
the Lower House of the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi’s earlier address and
saying that those whose caste is un- described it as “a perfect mix of facts
known are speaking on the issue of and humor.”
caste census. “Those whose caste is “This speech by my young and
not known, talk about the caste cen- energetic colleague, Shri @ianu-
sus. I want to remind the Speaker ragthakur is a must hear. A perfect
that in this House itself, a former Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP KC Venugopal mix of facts and humor, exposing the
prime minister RG-1 (Rajiv Gandhi) at the Parliament House during the Monsoon Session, in New Delhi on Wednesday dirty politics of the INDI Alliance,”
had opposed reservation for OBCs,” PM Modi posted on X.
the BJP MP said. (ANI Photo/Shrikant Singh) Anurag Thakur defended the
Rahul Gandhi replied, “Whoev- BJP’s lotus symbol and launched
er raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit from him.” of any person. “How can you ask a scathing attack on the Congress
and the backward, is abused. I will Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akh- caste...?” he asked BJP leader in the party during the discussion on the
happily accept these abuses...Anurag ilesh Yadav intervened in the conser- Lower House. The caste census was Union Budget on Tuesday. He then
Thakur has abused me and insulted vation and questioned Anurag Thak- one of the Congress party’s promises replied to the criticisms from oppo-
me. But I do not want any apology ur how one could ask about the caste in the 2024 general elections. Continued on next page... >>
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