Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during a public meeting in Bemetara, Chhattisgarh, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Bemetara/ Balodabazar: Reiterating his party's demand for a caste census, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the day the Other Backward Classes, Dalits and tribals learn about their actual population, the 'country will change forever.' Speaking at campaign rallies in Chhattisgarh, he also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of abusing him ever since he started talking about the OBCs and caste census.
Gandhi spoke at a rally each in Bemetara and Balodabazar-Bhatapara on the last day of campaigning for the second and last phase of assembly elections in the state on November 17.
“When I ask you about the population of OBCs in the country, no one can answer. In the country, there are almost 50 per cent OBCs. When we (Congress governments) waived loans (of farmers) and halved electricity bills, 50 per cent of the beneficiaries were OBCs. Narendra Modi ji waived loans of Rs 14 lakh crore, (but) its benefit goes to billionaires, not the OBCs," Gandhi said at the rally in Balodabazar.
"Under the insurance scheme, Modi ji gave thousands of crores of rupees to 16 companies. No OBCs, Dalits or Adivasis work in these companies. Show me one OBC in Adani's company. Get a list, you will not find a single OBC, Dalit or Adivasi there,” the Congress leader claimed.
"The day I started talking about caste census and OBC population, Modi ji started abusing me. Every day, a new term of abuse," he said.
Modi identified himself as an OBC earlier but later he said there is only one caste, the poor, Gandhi said.
"Then who are you? How do you become an OBC? You fly in aircraft worth thousands of crores of rupees and wear suits worth crores of rupees. Have you ever seen Modi ji wearing the same clothes for two days? I only wear this white shirt. He changes his clothes daily. Sometimes a suit, sometimes a shawl. But when time comes to support OBCs, he says there is no OBC and everyone is poor," said the Congress leader.
Modi's election-time guarantee was 'Adani's guarantee', Gandhi said, accusing the prime minister of working for the industrialist and others like him.
"After a Congress government is formed again in Chhattisgarh, the first step will be to conduct a caste survey besides granting loan waiver to farmers," he said.
After the Congress comes to power at the Centre next year, a nationwide caste census will be the first thing to be undertaken, he added.
The day OBCs come to know their actual strength, the real development of the country will start, he said.
Earlier, speaking in Bemetara, he said, "It (caste census) will be a historic decision. The day the OBCs, Dalits and tribals of this country come to know about their actual population and true strength, this country will change forever. This will be the biggest revolutionary decision after Independence."
While Congress governments waive the loans of farmers, the BJP-led Union government waives the loans of 'big industrialists like Adani', Gandhi alleged.
"Wherever we have a government, be it Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan or Himachal Pradesh, I told all the chief ministers that the Congress government will put into the bank accounts of farmers, labourers, mothers and sisters the same amount of money that the BJP gives to billionaires and big contractors," he said.
The economy is run by farmers, labourers, small shopkeepers and the youth, Gandhi said, adding that if the "money goes into Adani ji's pocket, Adani ji spends it in America' but if it goes to a farmer, it is spent within the village, and thus strengthens the rural economy."
Pointing to chief minister Bhupesh Baghel who was on the stage at the Bemetara rally, Gandhi said he had told Baghel after the party formed government in 2018 that 'the first signature should be on the files of loan waiver of farmers', and lakhs of farmers benefited from the decision.
“I am once again saying from the stage that you have to sign once again to waive (farm) loans," Gandhi added.
Prime minister Modi 'abuses' him wherever he goes, he claimed.
It did not matter to him, the Congress leader said, adding that his goal was to give the poor, labourers, farmers and small businessmen the same amount of money that 'Modi ji gives to Adani'.
Real politics is not to support billionaires but to support the poor, unemployed, the youth and farmers, Gandhi said.
"Abuse me as much as you can. The more you abuse me the more I realize that I am doing good work,” he added.
The second phase of elections on 70 out of total 90 assembly seats in Chhattisgarh will be held on November 17. The first phase covering 20 seats was held on November 7.