'My regret is ... ': Rahul Gandhi admits failure in understanding OBC plight; reflects on past 'mistakes'
Speaking at Congress' 'Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan' in the national capital, he said, "I have been in politics since 2004...When I look back, I can see that I made a mistake. I didn't protect the OBCs like I should have...It was because I could not understand your issues in depth at that time."
"My regret is that if I had known about your (OBC) history, about your issues, even a little more, I would have conducted a Caste Census right at that time.
It is a mistake I made. It is not Congress party's mistake, it is my mistake. I am going to rectify that mistake," he added.
Gandhi's politics has centered around raising voice for the oppressed classes, especially SCs, STs and the OBCs, including a call for caste-based census.
Earlier in the day, he targeted the PM Modi government of "deliberately" marginalizing Bahujans (SC, ST, and OBC communities) in higher education by keeping a large percentage of reserved faculty positions vacant in central universities.
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"The figures presented by the Modi government in Parliament are clear evidence of the marginalisation of Bahujans and institutional Manuvad. In central universities, professor posts for - ST: 83% - OBC: 80% - SC: 64% have been deliberately kept vacant. Similarly, associate professor posts for - ST: 65% - OBC: 69% - SC: 51% have also been left unfilled," he said in a post on X.
"This is not mere negligence but a calculated conspiracy to exclude Bahujans from education, research, and policy-making.The lack of adequate participation of Bahujans in universities ensures that the issues faced by marginalised communities are deliberately excluded from research and discourse.Under the guise of NFS (Not Found Suitable), thousands of qualified SC, ST, and OBC candidates are being declared unfit due to Manuvadi ideology, and the government refuses to take any accountability.This is utterly unacceptable.
All vacant posts must be filled immediately—Bahujans deserve their rights, not Manuvadi exclusion," he added.
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