In Prayagraj, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, accusing it of marginalising a vast section of the population. Drawing from a personal anecdote, he recalled a recent visit to Raebareli where he sat with a cobbler to understand his work. “The cobbler told me that only his father ever respected him,” Gandhi said, highlighting how talent in India often goes unappreciated.

He argued that millions across the country face similar neglect. Emphasising the people’s role in standing up for constitutional rights, Gandhi reiterated his call for a caste census to ensure broader participation in the system, pointing out that only a small section currently holds power while the majority remains excluded.

“A few days ago I went to Raebareli. There I saw a cobbler’s shop, so I sat there. I wanted to understand how they work. During the conversation he told me that Rahul Ji, in life only my father respected me and no one else. After hearing this I was thinking that despite having so much talent, no one respected him. There are thousands of such people in the country, with whom this is happening every day. There is no respect for talent in this country. This is the truth of the country,” Rahul Gandhi said while addressing the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.

He also added that the people of the country showed the power of the Constitution to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Just like there are cylinders in a car’s engine… similarly, let’s assume that the India engine has 10 cylinders, but only one cylinder is doing the work. That means 90% of the people have no participation in the system, yet we say that the country will become a super power. That is why we have raised the issue of caste census, so that people can get their participation,” he added.