Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday reiterated his call for a caste census, highlighting that no women from Dalit, tribal, or OBC communities have been among the winners of the Miss India pageant. He argued that 90% of the population is excluded from the mainstream.
Gandhi also claimed that the leading anchors in the media are not from these communities, emphasizing, “I have checked the list of Miss India, which did not include any Dalit, Adivasi, or OBC women. Some might discuss cricket or Bollywood, but no one highlights the cobbler or plumber. Even top media anchors are not from this 90%. We want to know how many people in institutions, corporations, Bollywood, or Miss India come from this 90%. I’m simply stating that 90% have no ‘bhagidari’ (participation), and this needs to be examined.” He made these remarks during a ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ in Uttar Pradesh.
Criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government, Gandhi questioned, “They may say Modiji embraced someone, and we’ve become a superpower. But how can we be a superpower when 90% of people are not participating?”
Gandhi stressed the need for a nationwide caste census, asserting it is not for “political reasons” but to “bring 90% of India’s poor into the mainstream.” He stated, “I am not advocating for a caste census for political gains. For me, it is about integrating 90% of India’s poor farmers into the country’s mainstream. This is my mission, and even if it leads to political losses, I am committed to it.”
The Congress party, in its manifesto, had pledged to conduct a nationwide socio-economic caste census during the Lok Sabha election campaigns.
Gandhi also reaffirmed his commitment to abolishing the 50% cap on reservations set by the Supreme Court, stating, “If anyone believes that the caste census can be stopped or that the 50% cap on reservations will remain, they are mistaken. Neither will the caste census be halted, nor the socio-economic survey, nor the institutional survey. The 50% cap on reservations will not stay… because the people of India have made their decision; this is the mandate from the people. The Prime Minister must accept and implement it. If he does not, then future Prime Ministers will.”