Caste census like X-Ray, will get it done if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi

Supporting caste census yet again and terming the exercise an ‘X-Ray of India’, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said if elected to power, INDIA bloc government will ensure it to ascertain population of various caste groups in the country.

“No one knows how many backwards, Dalits and tribals are there (in the country)? Those who form the biggest chunks of population don’t know their numbers. The BJP government does not want caste data,” he said at the first joint rally of the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha where he shared stage with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

“However, we will get an X-ray of India done to ascertain population of various caste groups. The country will change once the caste census is done,” Rahul added.

Rahul and Akhilesh sought support for Congress’s Amroha candidate Danish Ali. Ali, sitting Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from Amroha, joined the Congress ahead of the 2024 LS polls.

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“On one side is the INDIA bloc and it’s BJP-RSS on the other. This is the fight of ideologies. INDIA bloc is fighting to safeguard and protect democracy and the Constitution and on the other, the BJP-RSS is engaged in destroying democracy and the Constitution. You must have heard the BJP leaders saying if they win the elections, the Constitution will be changed,” the Congress leader said.

“Then right at the onset, I say that there is no power on the earth that can change India’s Constitution,” Rahul claimed. “In the last 10 years, Narendra Modi ji dedicatedly worked for a set of 15-20 industrialists. BJP’s design is very clear. It diverts your attention and then gives the country’s wealth to these industrialists,” the Congress leader alleged.

“Narendra Modi ji has waived loans worth ₹16 lakh crore of India’s wealthiest billionaires. Do you know how much is ₹16 lakh crore? It is equal to the previous UPA government’s farm loan waiver multiplied 25 times or it is equal to the Mnrega (rural employment guarantee scheme) budget of 25 years,” he alleged.

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He further alleged that PM Narendra Modi gave these 22 industrialists “all the money of banks” and introduced the Goods and Services Tax and demonetisation to help them.

“This is the reality of India. On one hand, Narendra Modi talks of make in India, these industrialists sell Chinese products here on the other. It is the small entrepreneurs, traders and craftsmen who can make in India, but Narendra Modi destroys them by introducing demonetisation and GST. Narendra Modi does not want any make in India, he wants only make in China in India so that those industrialists benefit,” he alleged.

Making a mention of his party’s poll manifesto, Rahul said: “The amount of money that they (BJP government) gave to those industrialists, we are going to give to the poor people of India”.

“Not only will the INDIA bloc government waive farm loan, we will also set up a commission that would recommend a farm loan waiver whenever needed. We will also bring in Mahalaxmi Yojana for poor families under which ₹one lakh per annum will be sent to a women member of each of the beneficiary families,” Rahul said.

Talking about the youth, he said: “Narendra Modi had lied to us. He had talked about 2 crore jobs, ₹15 lakh in our accounts. But we will do real things for the youth--we will fill 30 lakh government posts lying vacant. Our government will scrap the Agniveer scheme. We will bring in a law against paper leaks but above all, we will give you ‘Pehli Naukri Pakki’ guarantee. The graduates will get the right to apprenticeship (for one year job) in public or private companies. Those apprentices will get ₹one lakh annually directly into their accounts.”

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The Congress leader also said farmers will get MSP, Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mnregs)

rates will be doubled. “We will also double the emoluments for Anganwadi and Asha workers,” he added.

While Rahul did not make any reference to the attack that Prime Minister Narendra Modi made on Rahul and Akhilesh in his Amroha rally on Friday, Akhilesh counter-attacked Modi.

In a veiled attack on Rahul and Akhilesh, the PM had said: “The shooting of the film ‘Do Shehzade Ki Jodi (Two Princes)’ is going on. But their film has already been rejected by people.”

To this, Akhilesh said: “The BJP’s ‘first day, first show’ (the first phase polls) turned out to be a flop show. The people neither liked the acting of the BJP people, nor the storyline, or the oft-repeated dialogues. The BJP’s ticket window has no crowd”.

“The wind that emerged from the western UP will sweep in change not only in UP but also oust the BJP from the country,” he claimed. The SP chief said those who came to power through rhetoric failed to fulfil all their promises. “Did any farmer’s income double? Did youth get jobs?,” he asked.

“Even the BJP’s traditional voters are rising against it. Those traditional BJP voters are doing panchayats and deciding to vote against it. I salute those people for their political awakening against the BJP,” he said.

Talking about the “Modi Ki Guarantee” slogan of the BJP, Akhilesh remarked: “We do not want the BJP’s guarantee. We want the guarantee given by the Constitution that Dr Ambedkar gave to the country. And we want to safeguard the Constitution”.