Rahul Gandhi Vows Caste Census and Power Inclusion: Slams BJP for Marginalising 85% of population

Lucknow: Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday delivered a fiery address at the Samvidhan Sammelan held at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here, paying tribute to Bahujan Samaj Party founder Kanshi Ram on the occasion near his birth anniversary. Gandhi hailed Kanshi Ram’s lifelong struggle and vision for social justice, crediting him with profoundly influencing Indian politics by amplifying the voices of marginalised communities.

The event, organised to defend the Constitution and promote social equity, saw Gandhi emphasise the need for genuine participation of Dalits, backward classes, tribals, extremely backward classes, and minorities in India’s power structures. He invoked Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s emphasis on education and organisation, alongside Kanshi Ram’s famous metaphor of the pen: one that benefits not just 15% but the entire 85% of society.

Gandhi accused the BJP-led government of dismantling this inclusive vision. He pointed out stark disparities across institutions—judiciary, cabinet, bureaucracy, education, corporate India, and private hospitals—claiming that the 85% population is virtually absent from decision-making roles. He urged attendees to check top 500 companies’ CEOs and senior management, Adani Group’s suppliers, or even RSS lists, asserting no representation from these communities exists there. In contrast, he noted, schemes like MGNREGA or labour lists for events like the venue itself are dominated by the marginalised, while contractors and profits flow elsewhere.

Highlighting historical compromises, Gandhi said Congress’s past shortcomings allowed Kanshi Ram’s success, but added hypothetically that if Jawaharlal Nehru were alive, Kanshi Ram could have become Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister. He contrasted leaders like Ambedkar, Gandhi, and Kanshi Ram—who never compromised—with others who did.

Gandhi reiterated his commitment to a nationwide caste census to ensure proportional representation in power structures, declaring, “We have made up our mind—caste census will happen, and these communities will get their place.” He stressed that slogans alone achieve nothing; real change requires unwavering resolve and fighters willing to stand firm.

The Congress leader described his party as deliberately “poor” by design since Mahatma Gandhi’s era, to stay connected to the masses without big money’s influence. He recounted how, despite frozen bank accounts during elections, the party persevered due to its ideological strength, unlike the BJP, which he called wealthy and tied to corporate interests.

In a sharp political attack, Gandhi alleged Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “psychologically finished” and “compromised,” linking this to ongoing U.S.-related pressures involving the Adani case and Epstein files. He claimed these forced concessions in India’s energy security, national data sharing, and agriculture markets via a U.S. trade deal—allowing American access to vast Indian data, mandating massive purchases from U.S. farmers, and restricting oil/gas sourcing—harming small Indian farmers and businesses while yielding nothing in return. Gandhi asserted Modi “surrendered” India’s interests, running from Parliament and making hasty calls to finalise deals.

Gandhi concluded by calling for transformative politics beyond mere electoral wins: including the poor, Dalits, tribals, backward classes, minorities, and impoverished general castes in power. He said the Constitution embodies thousands of years of India’s inclusive voice—from Narayana Guru and Basavanna to Ambedkar, Gandhi, and Buddha—excluding divisive ideologies. Holding up a copy of the Constitution, he vowed its defence “till our last breath,” urging 100 dedicated fighters to achieve change.

The speech drew applause for its focus on social justice but sparked controversy over Gandhi’s unsubstantiated claims against the Prime Minister, echoing his earlier accusations in Parliament and other forums.