It was my mistake: Rahul Gandhi admits failure in understanding OBC plight

India Today

2 days ago

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday admitted that not conducting a caste census earlier was his mistake and pledged to correct it now. Speaking at the 'Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan' organised for the OBC community at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the caste census exercise recently carried out in Telangana would trigger a political earthquake across the country.advertisementReflecting on his 21-year political career, Gandhi said he had done justice to several issues, including the land acquisition bill, MGNREGA, the food bill, and the rights of tribal communities.However, he acknowledged falling short in protecting the interests of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He said that while he had always understood the issues faced by Dalits and Scheduled Tribes, he had not grasped the concerns of OBCs deeply enough in the past.
He told the gathering that it was not the Congress party but he himself who had erred in not pushing for a caste census earlier. "I regret that if I had known more about your history and issues, I would have got the caste census conducted. That is my mistake and not that of the Congress. I am going to correct that mistake now," Gandhi said.He further asserted that all Congress-ruled states would carry out a caste census and conduct what he termed an "X-ray" of the population.Gandhi described the Telangana caste census as a seismic political development whose aftershocks would soon be felt nationally. He said the timing of the exercise was appropriate, as it would now be carried out with greater depth and purpose than it might have been years earlier.Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said that he had met him personally a few times and found him to be "all show and no substance".He claimed that the media had "inflated" PM Modi's image and said the prime minister was not a real problem. "You have given him too much importance. He is not a problem," he said, telling the crowd that after meeting Modi, he realised "there is nothing". Gandhi appealed to OBC youth to recognise their own strength, claiming the RSS was their "biggest enemy" for attempting to erase their history. He said this erasure had been going on for thousands of years in various forms. He urged OBC youth to unite and be aware of their rights and representation.He reiterated the Congress party's commitment to conducting caste censuses in all states under its rule and to removing the 50 per cent cap on reservations. He said data was crucial in the 21st century and pointed out that the Telangana government now had data to show the representation of SC, ST, and OBC communities in corporate management and other sectors.advertisementHe added that while these communities were poorly represented in high-value corporate packages, they were overrepresented in low-wage jobs under MGNREGA and among gig workers.Citing findings from the Telangana caste survey, Gandhi said the data revealed a stark lack of representation of OBCs in the power structure. He called OBCs the "productive power" of the country, responsible for producing food, building infrastructure, and supporting essential services, but receiving little in return."If you build the country with your blood, sweat and hard work, what does the country give you in return?" he asked.He also alleged that the BJP and RSS were working to wipe out the history of OBCs because they feared that once the community understood its true identity, it would realise that the RSS was its greatest threat.Several senior Congress leaders, including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot and Anil JaiHind were present at the event.- EndsTune InMust Watch