Low representation in key segments for 88% of India's population, says Rahul Gandhi

Palghar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday claimed 88 per cent of India's population consisted of OBC, Dalit, tribal and backward communities but their participation in different sectors, including administration, judiciary and media, was very low.

Addressing a gathering at Wada taluka of Maharashtra's Palghar district during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, Gandhi maintained that individuals constituting just 6 per cent of the population controlled power and the country's wealth.

The Lok Sabha MP from Wayanad in Kerala said private insurance companies, and not farmers, benefit from crop insurance schemes launched by the government. When rains and hailstorms cause damage to crops, the affected farmers do not get any help despite the government paying a huge amount of premium to insurance companies, he said.

The former Congress president emphasised on a nationwide caste census to do away with imbalances in administration and other sectors, and added that if the Congress was voted to power at the Centre, it will conduct such an exercise.

Gandhi said OBC, Dalit, tribal and backward communities constitute 88 per cent of the country's population but their representation in different sectors, including administration, media and judiciary, remains very low.

The Congress MP questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his contribution to the welfare of OBCs.

"The poor are looted through GST (Goods and Services Tax)," he alleged. While acquiring lands for various projects, it is the poor sections of society, and not rich industrialists, who get affected, said Gandhi, whose yatra is in its last phase.

As part of his yatra, Gandhi went round predominantly tribal areas of Palghar district, which is located adjoining Mumbai, and covered, Mokhada, Jawhar and Wada towns, where he was greeted by local residents.

On Saturday, Gandhi will address a gathering in Thane city and then travel to Mumbai, where his yatra, which started from Manipur on January 14, will conclude with a rally on March 17.