Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, reiterated his commitment to removing the 50% cap on reservations and ensuring the implementation of a caste census across the country. Speaking at the 'Samvidhan Samman Sammelan' on Saturday, he asserted that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opposition, the Congress will push for the caste census to be carried out.
Gandhi emphasized that the fight to protect constitutional values extends beyond the last seventy years, tracing back to centuries. He remarked, "It is a fight between the constitution and the Manusmriti," while underlining the importance of the constitution as embodying the ideologies of great spiritual leaders and thinkers of the nation.
The Congress leader described the caste census as an "X-ray of society" that would reveal the true representation of various castes in institutions and expose the control over wealth. He highlighted the stark wealth disparity in India, where the richest 1% control 40% of the nation's wealth, leaving the majority, nearly "90 percent," with little to no representation in institutions like the media, corporate world, and bureaucracy. Gandhi also pointed out the lack of representation of Dalits, Backward Classes, and Adivasis in Bollywood.
Citing the example of President Droupadi Murmu, an Adivasi, Gandhi alleged that she had been denied participation in key national events, such as the inauguration of the new parliament building and the Ram Mandir, solely due to her community background. He termed this exclusion as an attack on the constitution.
Despite the BJP's control over institutions like the Election Commission, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and Income Tax department, Gandhi expressed confidence that Congress, fighting on the strength of truth, would prevail. He pointed out that the party’s accounts were sealed ahead of elections, yet Congress still made Prime Minister Modi bow before the constitution, driven by the people's mandate to protect it.
