Rahul Gandhi has same agenda on minorities as Manmohan Singh: BJP leader Vinod Tawde

Vinod Tawde. File Pic

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde on Tuesday claimed that like former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "agenda" is that the minorities should have the first right to the country's wealth, and not tribals or Dalits.

He was replying to a question about the manifesto of the NCP led by Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, a BJP ally, which mentions a caste-based census. Congress too has been demanding such a census.

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"Caste-based census is not Rahul Gandhi's agenda. His agenda is what Manmohan Singh had stated earlier: minorities have the first right to the country's wealth," Tawde told reporters.

BJP welcomed anyone for a debate on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in this regard, Tawde added.

"I am using the words minorities; he (Manmohan Singh) had said very clearly that Adivasis and Dalits would not get anything. And there is no comment on it by Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, (Mallikarjun) Kharge, which means they approve of it. Does it mean that (Maharashtra Congress president) Nana Patole and his allies Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray also want the same thing that Singh had said?" he asked.

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