BJP defends ‘caste’ jibe at Rahul Gandhi; Congress seeks privilege motion against PM Modi

BJP MP Anurag Thakur's controversial remark about Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's caste has triggered a political slugfest, with the Congress party claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged a "serious breach of parliamentary privilege" by sharing it on X.

Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday submitted a notice to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to move a privilege motion against Prime Minister Modi for allegedly amplifying Thakur's “objectionable” remarks that were expunged from the proceedings of the House.

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Channi, a Dalit MP of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, said it was "shocking to note that the expunged portions had been tweeted by the Prime Minister on ‘X’ along with the whole speech video."

"I hereby give notice to move a privilege motion under Rule 222 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha against the Prime Minister for having tweeted on 'X' a portion of remarks which were expunged from the proceedings of the House by the Chair," the former Punjab chief minister said in his communication to Birla.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed his dismay over Anurag Thakur's comments and said, "Taunting in the House - this doesn't happen in Parliament. Nobody's caste is asked in the Parliament... He (Anurag Thakur) said this purposely to insult him (Rahul Gandhi). Several of their (BJP) senior leaders have had intercaste marriages. They should look at themselves in the mirror and then speak."

Kharge also criticised the Prime Minister for sharing Thakur's speech on social media, condemning it as an attempt to inflame sentiments.

“PM Modi should know where to speak and who to defend,” Kharge said.

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Congress' deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said the opposition INDIA bloc protested inside the House on Wednesday against the "insensitive and cruel" remarks made by the BJP leaders with respect to the caste census.

"We know caste census is a very emotional issue and many people in India from the SC, ST and OBC category want the caste census but their demand was mocked by the BJP in Parliament. They were insulted by the BJP in Parliament and it is unfortunate that later in the evening, the PM shared that speech and praised that speech," Gogoi told reporters outside Parliament.

"The PM praised the speech that insulted the Dalits, OBCs and Adivasis. We are here fighting for their rights and fighting for caste census," he said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha accused Thakur of exhibiting a feudal mindset, asserting that the focus should be on the caste census rather than individual castes. He also criticised the prime minister for endorsing Thakur's remarks.

"By re-tweeting the speech, the prime minister has shown that he cannot rise above 'bhains, mangalsutra and mujra'," Jha said.

The backlash from the Congress camp continued with MP K Suresh demanding an apology from Thakur.

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BJP leaders, however, defended Anurag Thakur and turned the tables on the opposition. BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi questioned why the opposition took Thakur's remarks personally and accused the Congress of sowing confusion regarding their stance on the caste census.

"Anurag Thakur did not take anyone's name then who is taking this on themselves on their own?... There is extreme confusion among the INDI Alliance," Trivedi said.

Union minister Giriraj Singh echoed Trivedi's sentiments, asking why Rahul Gandhi's caste should be a sensitive issue, and accused the Congress of hypocrisy.

"I also ask Rahul Gandhi ji...what is your caste. If anybody asks me about my caste...I will tell them. I will tell them that I respect my caste but Rahul Gandhi will not say anything. They want to break the Hindus...they will not say anything on the issues of Rohingyas," Singh said.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said there was nothing wrong in asking about the caste of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he keeps doing the same and tries to "divide the country" on caste lines.

"They talk caste all the time through the day and night. They ask caste of media, military people. They conspired to divide the nation on the basis of caste. When Rahul Gandhi's caste was asked, they got angered. Why can't we ask the caste? Are they bigger than the country?" Rijiju questioned.

"By asking the caste of people, the Congress has conspired to divide the country, and when there was talk about Rahul Gandhi's caste, there was so much protest," he said.

Talking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Rijiju said, "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? (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Yadav also supported Rahul Gandhi. Are they above the country and Parliament," the minister asked rhetorically.

Expressing shock over the outrage from the opposition, former Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai wondered how the caste census could be conducted without asking the caste.

“If they think they were insulted (by Anurag Thakur), they are insulting the whole country by asking for a caste census. They are talking about caste census,... then why is it an insult when someone asks them their caste?”