Will lift 50% quota limit if I.N.D.I.A. wins: Rahul

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pledged a nationwide Caste Census and the elimination of the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the I.N.D.I.A. bloc assumes power at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls. Gandhi strongly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of inconsistency. According to Gandhi, when the call for a Caste Census and the allocation of rights to OBCs, Dalits, and tribals emerged, the PM denied the existence of castes. However, during elections, he claims to be part of the OBC community.

He further accused the BJP of attempting to overthrow the JMM-Congress-RJD administration in Jharkhand due to the tribal background of the chief minister. During a rally at Shaheed Maidan as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur to Maharashtra, Gandhi commended all alliance MLAs, specifically acknowledging Champai Soren, for thwarting what he termed as a conspiracy by the BJP-RSS and safeguarding the government that serves the interests of the economically disadvantaged.

Gandhi claimed that Dalits, tribals, and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were made bonded labourers and their participation was lacking in big companies, hospitals, schools, colleges and courts. “This is the biggest question before India. Our first step would be to get a Caste Census



in the country,” the former Congress chief said. Noting that more than 50 per cent reservation cannot be given under existing provisions, Gandhi promised that an Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.) government would “throw out” the 50 per cent cap on reservation.

Gandhi also said that Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had told him that his government had fulfilled the promise of a caste survey made to the people of that state. In a few months, Dalits, OBCs, tribals, minorities and general caste poor will get to know their numbers, Gandhi said. He said that out of the 90 secretaries running the government, only three are from the OBC category. 

Gandhi claimed that there was “massive” unemployment in the country and small and medium enterprises had been “destroyed” due to demonetisation. “PM Modi lied and said 'I am fighting against black money' and then carried out demonetisation, then implemented GST. 

The Indian youth cannot get jobs in such a scenario,” the Congress leader said. Gandhi alleged that the BJP-RSS make people of different religions and languages fight and “then take their money and hand it to billionaire Gautam Adani”.