"Incapable...": Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi over caste census

Pic/PTI

Taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not conducting a caste survey across the country and alleging that the PM has been employing diversionary tactics to avoid the survey, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that PM Modi is "incapable" of doing the caste census, reported news agency ANI.

"The PM is incapable of doing the caste census. Our three out of four CMs are from the OBC category. Out of 10 BJP CMs, only one CM is from the OBC category. How many BJP CMs are from the OBC category? The PM doesn't work for the OBCs but to distract them from main issues," the Congress leader said after the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, reported ANI.

Rahul Gandhi asserted that PM Modi's aim is to distract the public and cautioned that in the coming days PM will keep bringing up many distractions, reported ANI.

"PM's aim is to distract... In the coming times, he will keep bringing up many distractions. This (caste census) is not a political decision but a decision based on justice. There are no political calculations," he said.

Rahul further said that as I had said about COVID-19, China, I am saying again that caste census will be conducted in the country and Congress will make this happen, reported ANI.

"We will pressurize the BJP to conduct a caste census because the country needs it. As far as the I-N-D-I-A alliance is concerned, I think most of the parties will support it. There might be just a few parties who might not support it but we don't have any problem," he added.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) unanimously supported the idea of a caste census in the country and called it a "progressive and powerful step", the Congress leader said, reported ANI.

He also said that Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan believe that it is a very important step, reported ANI.

Congress held a CWC meeting at the AICC office in the national capital.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress leaders Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting.

Along with them the Chief Ministers of all the Congress-ruled states and the top party brass deliberate on several issues at the CWC meeting.

The Chief Ministers of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, besides the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leaders in the five poll-bound states, attended the CWC meeting.

The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees, including 15 women and several new faces.

(With inputs from ANI)