At tribal heartland, Rahul Gandhi again flashes his red book, vows to hold caste census

RANCHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government and BJP of attempting to “kill” the Constitution while emphasising that Congress was fighting to protect the country and its people as he vowed a caste census in Jharkhand if the INDIA bloc govt returned to office.
Rahul was speaking at his maiden rally in tribal heartland Santhal Pargana for the second phase of the assembly polls on Nov 20. Santhal Pargana has been in the spotlight as BJP has made alleged influx from Bangladesh a key poll plank, claiming most such illegal immigrants have settled in this region.
Rahul flashed his familiar red-bound book on the Constitution and reiterated that BJP and RSS often speak along caste and communal lines to divide the nation. “I want to tell you BJP and RSS don’t believe in the Constitution and its virtues. This isn’t just a red-coloured book; it contains the values of Bhimrao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Birsa Munda…… They spoke of uniting the country and its people, but Modiji, BJP, and RSS do just the opposite,” Rahul said in Mahagama constituency’s Mehrama in Godda district of Santhal Parganas.
Posing questions to the PM and BJP, Rahul said, “They won’t talk about jobs, unemployment, farmers’ unrest, or the plight of Dalits, OBCs, tribals, and other underprivileged communities.” “Their only agenda is to create divisions among communities, castes, and religions because it’s convenient for them to keep people distracted while they work for their billionaire friends like Adani and Ambani,” Rahul said in his oft-repeated claims.
Rahul then went on to cite promises made in Congress’s Jharkhand manifesto, including a caste census and removal of the 50% ceiling on reservations. “We are committed to a caste census in Jharkhand as it will be a game changer for the country, providing a true understanding of its realities. While Modiji will never do it, we will. Additionally, we will increase OBC, ST, and SC reservations, which the BJP government has curtailed in the past. In Jharkhand, the BJP reduced OBC reservation from 27% to 14%, which we will restore. Similarly, ST reservation will be increased from 26% to 28%, and SC reservation from 10% to 12%,” Rahul added.