Congress Guarantees: Will Remove 50% Limit On Reservation; Will Conduct Nationwide Caste Census

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised the implementation of a nationwide caste census and the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the INDIA bloc was elected to power in the upcoming general election. He made the two guarantees noting that more than 50 per cent reservation cannot be given under existing provisions.

During his address at a rally at the Shaheed Maidan in Jharkhand, he further noted that the Dalits, tribals, and Other Backward Classes (OBC)s were made bonded labourers. He claimed that these people’s involvement was greatly missing in companies, hospitals, colleges, courts and schools. “This is the biggest question before India. Our first step would be to get a caste census in the country,” the Congress leader said about the implementation of nationwide caste census.

Making guarantees for the backward section of the society on the reservation and social and economic justice, Rahul Gandhi said that there will be no reduction in the reservation of Dalits and Adivasis. “I am giving you a guarantee that the backward sections of society will get their rights. This is the biggest issue – social and economic injustice,” he added.

आरक्षण पर 50% की लिमिट है, हम उसे उखाड़ कर फेंक देंगे – ये कांग्रेस और INDIA की गारंटी है। pic.twitter.com/B0veY8eO6e

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 6, 2024

The Congress leader then took a jibe at Prime Minister Modi for calling himself an OBC while claiming the same time that there are no castes, pointing out that the prime minister would say he is an OBC only to get votes.  “When the time came to give rights to OBCs, Dalits, tribals, Modi ji says there are no castes and when it is time to get votes, he says he is an OBC,” Rahul Gandhi said. Caste has long been an integral part of Indian society and caste censuses were carried out to understand the economic and social inequalities facilitating the mechanism to address the issues of discrimination based on the castes.

During his address, Rahul Gandhi also referred to the recent development in Jharkhand congratulating the MLAs and the new chief minister for withstanding the BJP”s alleged conspiracy to topple the state government. “Want to congratulate all alliance MLAs, (Champai) Soren ji as that they stopped the BJP-RSS conspiracy and protected the government of the poor.” Rahul Gandhi also claimed that the BJP tried to remove the government because it could not accept the tribal chief minister.