Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Mar 21: The Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi was at the receiving end lashed out by the BJP both for reiterating the demand for caste census and the alleged failure of the Congress government in “containing terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir” for the sake of the party’s Muslim appeasement policy.
Hitting out at Mr Gandhi, the BJP MP Dinesh Sharma questioned Mr Gandhi’s demand for caste census which the Congress leader had reiterated on Thursday that the exercise would help bring out the “truth of inequality and discrimination” in the country.”
“At the Kumbh Mela, no one asked about caste. No one insulted anyone. No one got dengue or malaria. No one pelted stones at one another. Despite understanding the strength of Sanatan Dharma, you still choose to talk about caste?” Mr Sharma asked. “You (Gandhi) have lost. The more you will ask, the more you will lose,” he added, referring to the Congress’s loss in the Lok Sabha elections last year.
The Congress had promised to conduct a nationwide caste census if it was voted to power. On Thursday evening, Mr Gandhi said a caste census was an “important step towards bringing out the truth of inequality” and alleged those opposing a caste census do not want the “truth” to be revealed. He made the remarks in a post along with a video of his interaction with former University Grants Commission chairman and academician Sukhdeo Thorat.
“I had a detailed discussion with Prof Thorat, a well-known academician, economist, expert on Dalit issues and member of the study committee on caste census in Telangana, on the Mahad Satyagraha and the ongoing struggle of Dalits for access to administration, education, bureaucracy and resources,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said in X post.
On March 20, 1927, Ambedkar had directly challenged caste discrimination through the Mahad Satyagraha, Mr Gandhi said. “It was not just a fight for the right to water, but for equality and respect. This fight for ‘rightful share’, which began 98 years ago, is still going on,” he said. In his interaction with Mr Thorat, the Congress MP spoke about the importance of the Mahad Satyagraha and the struggle of Dalits for access to governance, education, bureaucracy and resources.
The Congress leader also criticised the country’s merit-based system, calling it “deeply flawed” and “unfair” towards Dalits, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and tribals. “There is a completely flawed concept of merit where I confuse my social position with my capability. For anyone to say that our education system or bureaucratic entry systems are fair to Dalits, OBCs, and tribals is a complete fallacy because they are culturally disconnected from these institutions,” he said. The merit system, he said, was based on an “upper-caste narrative.”
In the Rajya Sabha, the home minister Amit Shah, castigated Mr Gandhi while speaking on counter-terrorism operations and development in Jammu and Kashmir. “If someone is sitting with kaala chashma (black glasses) on, how is it possible to show them the development?” Shah asked in a swipe towards the Congress leader. He also spoke about Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir, saying that the Congress leader had claimed to see terrorists from afar.
He also criticised the previous governments for failing to take firm action on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. “Terrorists used to enter Kashmir from the neighbouring country, they used to execute bomb blasts and murders here. There was not one festival which used to be celebrated without any worry. Central Governments had a flexible attitude. They used to be quiet and were scared of speaking. They were worried about their vote bank,” Mr Shah said.
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“But after PM Modi came to power, we displayed a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism,” he said. He also highlighted the surgical strike in 2016 and the 2019 Balakot airstrike, which were India’s direct responses to the Uri and Pulwama attacks.
“There were attacks even after we came to power — on Uri and Pulwama. Within 10 days, we responded with surgical and airstrikes. The zero-tolerance policy against terrorism started there,” Shah noted.
