AICC OBC panel backs Rahul's plan to win over voters
The meeting is significant ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls, for which Rahul is campaigning aggressively. The meeting is likely to send out a message that the Grand Old Party is in favour of OBCs and the caste census.
Analysts interpret it as the Grand Old Party's strategy to counter BJP and PM Narendra Modi with an assumption that the country has taken a paradigm shift over backward classes that could determine the outcomes in future elections, till the next Lok Sabha polls.
Rajasthan former CM Ashok Gehlot claimed that because of Rahul's vociferous campaign, the Modi government announced the caste census. 'Under pressure ahead of Bihar Assembly polls, the Modi government announced it. The OBC Advisory Council and entire Congress will stand by Rahul in the campaign for caste census and to remove the 50% reservation cap,' he asserted.
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Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
T trying to break 50% quota cap, BJP a hindrance: Rahul
Hyderabad: Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called on all Congress MPs to inform citizens about Telangana's caste survey and how the BJP was trying to "stall the state's progress". He said the Telangana govt was attempting to break free of the 50% cap on reservation, both in local bodies and in govt jobs and educational institutions. "Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy's job is to use the data to transform the lives of the people of Telangana, and our job is to raise the issue in Parliament and help him push the idea of breaking the 50% reservation cap barrier," Rahul said while speaking during Revanth's presentation on the socio-economic survey at Indira Bhawan in New Delhi on Thursday. The PowerPoint presentation was attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, MP Priyanka Gandhi, and many other top leaders of the Congress. Rahul said the Congress govt in Telangana had sent a note on the amendment to Parliament, both to the Govt of India and to the President of India. But, he alleged, the Centre was reluctant to take up the issue as if it would destroy BJP's brand of politics. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad He also remarked that the national census and caste census being taken up by the Centre would not be a fair exercise as it would reveal the real situation of OBCs and Adivasis. The Congress leader also said his party had been correctly raising Dalit and Adivasi issues nationally for more than a decade. He felt many of his own leaders may not agree with him, but more needed to be done on voicing concerns of the OBCs. Rahul also praised Revanth for completing the caste survey in Telangana. "When I started to push the idea of a caste census, I thought it would be difficult for Revanth as CM, as his community (Reddy) might not appreciate it. I was observing carefully. Today, I told the expert committee that Revanth Reddy ji and other leaders exceeded my expectations. They not only did the caste census, but did it exceptionally well," Rahul Gandhi said. He said they not only completed the survey, but also executed it in the right spirit, marking a milestone in social justice in the country. "The Telangana govt showed the country how the national caste census should be done. The census should not be conducted within closed rooms. Every section of society was taken into consideration, and every household was covered," the Congress leader said. The Telangana govt has 21st century data which is powerful enough to target the needy in executing education and health policies. No other state in the country has that data, and for obvious reasons, the BJP may not like it, he said.
