WATCH | Rahul Gandhi vs Anurag Thakur Over ‘Caste’ Remark: ‘He Insulted Me’

On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi accused BJP MP Anurag Thakur of “insulting and abusing” him during a Lok Sabha discussion on the Union Budget. Thakur had made a remark suggesting that those whose caste is unknown are discussing the caste census. Gandhi responded, asserting that anyone who raises issues related to Adivasi, Dalit, or backward communities is subjected to abuse.

In his statement, Thakur said, “Those whose caste is not known talk about the caste census. I want to remind the Speaker that in this House, a former prime minister, RG-1, had opposed reservation for OBCs.”

Rahul Gandhi, who had previously pledged to implement a nationwide caste census if the INDIA bloc came to power, reaffirmed his commitment. “You can insult me as much as you like, but we will pass the caste census in Parliament,” Gandhi declared.

Later, Thakur clarified that his comment was not directed at any specific individual. “I had said that someone who doesn’t know about caste talks about the census. I did not name anyone,” he explained.

Gandhi responded by accusing Thakur of both abuse and insult, though he emphasized that he does not seek an apology. “Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit, and backward communities is abused. I will gladly accept these abuses. Anurag Thakur has abused and insulted me, but I do not want any apology from him,” Gandhi added.

The caste census was a central promise of the Congress party in the 2024 general elections. Rahul Gandhi had described the caste census as an “X-ray of India” prior to the elections. “No one knows the number of backwards, Dalits, and tribals in the country. Those who form the largest segments of the population are uncounted. The BJP government does not want caste data. However, we will get an X-ray of India done to determine the population of various caste groups. The country will change once the caste census is completed,” Gandhi had stated.

The BJP accuses the Congress of attempting to divide the country along caste lines.