New Delhi: Seeking to keep the issue bubbling on the caste issue, the BJP fielded its senior faces including Parliamentary Affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, Giriraj Singh and Sambhit Patra to question Rahul Gandhi’s caste.
In a press conference at the party’s headquarters, Patra said that he finds it “surprising” that there is an outrage over a person asking someone’s caste. “A few days ago, Rahul Gandhi was asking about the castes of journalists. The caste of journalists can be asked. The caste of administrative officers can be asked. The caste of judges can be asked. You can ask all this, but if someone asks you about your caste, then it becomes an insult,” Patra said.
“You want a caste census, and you are saying that caste cannot be asked inside the House. So how can caste be asked outside? Does that mean this land is not sacred, only the House is sacred? The House is sacred, and so is the country,” he added.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said that by asking the caste of people, since they have demanded a caste census, the Congress has “conspired to divide the country”.
“The Congress talks of caste day in and day out. When he (Rahul Gandhi) meets mediapersons, he asks their caste, he asks the caste of armed forces personnel, he asks people’s caste during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. They can ask about the caste of the people and no one can ask about his caste. What is this? Akhilesh Yadav also supported Rahul Gandhi. Are they above the country and Parliament,” the minister said.
Union minister Giriraj Singh challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to sue him for inquiring about his caste and religion. “I am asking you. You file a case if it is wrong. Rahul Gandhi, it is good that you want a caste census. But what is your caste,” he asked.
An uproar erupted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday after senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur said, in reference to Gandhi, that those whose caste remains unknown are asking for a caste census.
In response, Gandhi said that he was insulted but that it did not bother him. Akhilesh Yadav took exception to the request and asked Thakur how he could have asked for anyone’s caste in the floor of the House.