My mistake we couldn't get caste census done earlier; correcting that now: Rahul Gandhi
Mr. Gandhi further said he committed a "mistake" in his political career of 21 years, which is not protecting the interests of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) section as much as he should have done.
Addressing a 'Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan' of OBCs at the Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said the caste census in Telangana is a "political earthquake" that will cause a huge "aftershock" in the country.
"I have been doing politics since 2004, it has been 21 years, and when I look back and do a self-analysis, where all I did the right thing and where I fell short. I see two-three big issues — land acquisition bill, MGNREGA, food bill, fight for tribals, I did these things wrong," Mr. Gandhi said.
"When it comes to Dalits, tribals and minorities, I should get good marks. On women's issues, I should get good marks.
"But when I look back, I can see clearly that in one thing I was lacking, I committed one mistake — I did not protect the OBC section the way I should have," Mr. Gandhi said.
He said he could not understand the issues of the OBC section deeply 10-15 years ago.
"I understood Dalit problems, which are clear; one can understand issues of STs also clearly. The issues of OBCs are hidden.
"I regret that if I had known more about your history and issues, I would have gotten the caste census done. That is my mistake and not that of the Congress. I am going to correct that mistake," Mr. Gandhi said.
He, however, added that in a way, it is better that the caste census was not done earlier, as it would not have been done in the manner it would be done now following the Telangana example.
"The caste census in Telangana is a political earthquake. It has shaken the political ground of the country. You have not felt its aftershock but the impact will be there," Mr. Gandhi said.
"We will conduct a caste census and an X-ray of the population in all Congress-ruled states," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
22 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Migrant exodus sparks political storm in Gurugram
A police verification drive targeting undocumented immigrants in Gurugram has led to the departure of hundreds of Bengali-speaking migrant families and triggered a political controversy, with opposition leaders accusing the Haryana government of communal bias. A migrant worker settlement in South City 2, in Gurugram Sector 47 near Park Hospital, on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo) The drive, aimed at identifying undocumented immigrants, has reportedly led to 300–400 families leaving shanty settlements, particularly around South City 2, amid fears of detention and harassment. 'Even those with Aadhaar and voter cards are being detained. Police arrive without warning and take people away. Some were even beaten,' a migrant resident claimed, requesting not to be named. 'We didn't come here to break the law—we came to work hard and feed our families,' said Imran Ali, a 32-year-old construction worker from Murshidabad, who left Gurugram last week and is now staying with a cousin in Delhi's Seelampur. 'Police came to our settlement late at night. Even though I showed my Aadhaar card, they said it needed to be verified in Bengal. My wife got scared, packed our things, and we left that same night. I lost my job, and we are now surviving on whatever little savings I had. I don't know when we will go back—or if we even can.' Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed, a senior Meo community leader, alleged the drive is 'unfairly singling out Muslim residents' and 'damaging Gurugram's secular fabric and global image.' He said even individuals with valid documents have been detained and forced to leave. 'This campaign… has turned into a tool for communal victimisation,' Ahmed said, adding he has raised the issue with the state DGP and Gurugram Commissioner of Police, who assured him 'no legitimate Indian citizen will be harassed.' Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini defended the campaign, declaring, 'There is no place for Bangladeshi infiltrators in Haryana; they are being removed as swiftly as possible.' He added, 'No compromise against India's unity, sovereignty, and Constitution is acceptable... the nation's interest will always be paramount.' In response, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee slammed the drive, calling it 'linguistic terror' and alleging that Bengali-speaking workers are being deported without proper checks. 'I have been increasingly receiving reports of detentions and atrocities… West Bengal Police is receiving requests from Haryana Police for identity verification,' she said, citing Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports accusing BJP-ruled states of systematic deportations. HRW reports that this has been happening systematically in the BJP-ruled States of Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Delhi, following a directive by the Ministry of Home, Government of India. Shame!! Now, even international human rights organisations have started taking note of the linguistic terrorism unleashed in India. This must stop at once!!' the CM has been attacking the BJP-led Centre, saying that the detention of hundreds of Bengali speaking migrant workers across BJP-governed states was 'a language war and linguistic terrorism' waged on Bengal and its people. TMC MP Samirul Islam backed Banerjee, accusing BJP-led states of 'hiding data on Bengali-speaking migrants' and turning 'national security into a tool of discrimination.' 'No illegal immigrant will be allowed to stay in Haryana. The verification drive is being conducted strictly within the legal framework to ensure the safety and security of all citizens,' said Arvind Saini, media in-charge of BJP Haryana. 'The Congress is raising baseless concerns because their traditional vote bank is being affected. This is not about religion or language—it's about national interest and lawful residency.' Senior Congress leader Pankaj Dawar said many of these families have been in Gurugram for over two decades as domestic workers and labourers. 'They consider Gurugram their home. But now, their lives have been thrown into chaos,' he said. Haryana Police, however, denied any communal angle. 'The process is based on intelligence inputs and legal procedure,' said Gurugram police spokesperson Sandeep Kumar. 'We are ensuring that no Indian citizen is harassed.' As the controversy deepens, the verification campaign has become a flashpoint in the larger political discourse around migration, minority rights, and state power, according to opposing political leaders. 'The situation is not just a local law enforcement issue anymore,' Ahmed said. 'It's a test of how inclusive and just we remain as a society.'
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Breaking News Live Updates: US, EU announce trade framework after Trump holds tariff talks with top European official
05:44 (IST) Jul 28 The Congress has issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs, mandating their presence in the House for three days starting Monday, with a debate set to take place on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. On the first day of the debate, Congress' Deputy Leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi is expected to lead the opposition party's charge, sources said. The BJP-led ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Opposition are set to lock horns over the two issues steeped in national security and foreign policy imperatives. The NDA and the opposition parties are expected to field their top guns during the discussion in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. A whip has been issued by the Congress mandating the presence of its MPs in the House for three days starting Monday. Sources said Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will speak on the issues amid indications that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may make an intervention to convey his government's "robust" stand against terrorism.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
As more slum dwellers told to move, Delhi CM assures justice
Reiterating that unauthorised slums will be removed from Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said that the government has allocated a budget Rs 700 crore to provide accommodation to eligible slum dwellers. 'Whenever slums need to be removed for any reason, arrangements are being made to provide houses to the eligible residents…,' she said at the 'Faatak wali jhuggi' near the railway crossing in Shalimar Bagh on Sunday morning. The Railways has issued a notice for the removal of the sum cluster, citing that it is located on railway land needed for the expansion of the Azadpur railway station. 'You will get complete justice. The Delhi government is fully committed to this,' Gupta told the slum dwellers. 'When a crisis came upon you, I came to meet you because the Delhi government is not in favour of removing slums without reason… If slums have to be removed for development projects or other legitimate reasons, the government will ensure proper rehabilitation for the eligible residents so they too can become part of Delhi's growth story,' she added. This comes amid the recent demolition of unauthorised slums at Madrasi Camp, Bhoomiheen Camp, Jailerwala Bagh Camp and Taimoor Nagar in the Capital. Taking on AAP and Congress, Gupta said that in the last 40 years, no development has taken place in Delhi's slums. 'These parties have only seen slum dwellers as voters and constantly tried to exploit them, while also damaging the city's geographical character,' she said. The AAP, meanwhile, said in a statement, 'The CM has been constantly lying on this issue. First, on completion of 100 days of her government, she claimed no jhuggi will be demolished. And on the very next day, hundreds of jhuggis were demolished at Madrasi Camp. Later, thousands of people have to rendered homeless at Jailerwala Bagh, Bawana, Moti Nagar, Kalkaji etc.' 'We challenge Rekha Gupta to publish the list of jhuggis that have been demolished and names of people who have been given flats by them. They are trying to fool the people by giving flats to just a few of them and making others homeless,' the party added. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, too, said on Sunday that hundreds of slum dwellers in Delhi are going through the pain of being rendered homeless with their houses being destroyed by the BJP government, as he claimed that this 'atrocity' exposes the ruling party's 'insensitivity' towards the poor and its 'arrogance of power'. The leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha shared a video of his recent visit to Delhi's Ashok Vihar area where houses of several people were brought down by the administration. The small houses in which they had settled their entire life were 'ruthlessly destroyed' by the BJP government, he alleged in his post in Hindi on X along with the video.
