Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha, targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the reservation issue, alleging that “BJP is trying to destroy tribals‘ heritage, history, tradition, medical practices”.
Addressing “Samvidhan Samman Sammelan” in Ranchi at poll-bound Jharkhand, the Congress scion claimed that the “Constitution is under attack from all sides and needs to be protected”.
The Congress leader also criticised the BJP for calling ‘Adivasis’ ‘Vanvasis’, while asserting that it’s an attempt to “erase” Tribals’ history.
“When BJP calls ‘Adivasi‘ ‘Vanvasi’, what are they trying to do? They are trying to erase your history, philosophy, science, medical science and lifestyle. ‘Adivasi’ means those who came first, whereas ‘Vanvasi’ means those who live in the forest,” said Rahul Gandhi on Saturday in the Tribal-dominated Jharkhand.
Rahul Gandhi, who has been advocating for the caste census for quite some time, claimed that the census is a “medium for social X-ray”.
He said the Congress party will remove the 50 per cent cap on the reservation when it comes to power.
He further alleged: “PM Modi says that he will respect Dalit, tribal and backward classes, but then takes away their rights. He gives you respect, but expels you from institutions.”
“Our education system fails to teach us about indigenous people; history of tribals, farmers, OBCs destroyed. Only three OBCs among the top 90 IAS officers are in the bureaucracy; no Dalits, tribals are in the finance ministry,” Rahul Gandhi while promising a caste census when voted to power.
After landing in Ranchi, Rahul Gandhi also met chief minister Hemant Soren, who on Saturday announced that the INDIA bloc partners will contest the upcoming assembly polls together and the Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morch (JMM) will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats.
Seat-sharing talks are on with alliance partners – the RJD and the Left parties – for the remaining 11 seats, he said.
“INDIA bloc will contest the Jharkhand assembly polls together. It has been decided during the seat-sharing talks with the allies that the Congress and the JMM will field candidates in 70 of 81 seats,” Soren was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI, after meeting with the alliance partners.
The assembly polls for 81 seats will be held in two phases on November 13 and 20, and counting will take place on November 23.