In poll-bound Bihar, Rahul Gandhi says caste survey 'not up to mark'; need to ensure better 'bhagidaari' of Dalits, tribals & OBCs

Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that the Constitution was under "attack" from the BJP-RSS combine, which was trying to hoodwink people by a show of deference towards Dalit icons like B R Ambedkar.

The statement from the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha came at a function in the Bihar capital, organised on the birth anniversary of Dalit freedom fighter and Congress activist Jaglal Choudhary.

"Today, Delhi assembly polls are underway. But, I believed this function was equally important. So I flew down after casting my vote,” said the 54-year-old leader.

In a speech that lasted close to 30 minutes, Gandhi spoke extensively of the need to ensure better "bhagidaari" (participation) of Dalits, tribals and OBCs in all walks of life, asserting that mere political representation was not enough.

"I want to see the day when Dalits, tribals and backwards become leaders, not just footsoldiers, in bureaucracy and the private sector,” said the former Congress president.

Waving a pocket-size edition of the Constitution, he alleged, "As long as this is in force, Dalits and other deprived sections of the society can hope for a better life. The BJP-RSS knows this, so they attack the Constitution, but not overtly.”

"You can see Prime Minister Narendra Modi bowing before the Constitution and the statue of Ambedkar. Today, many RSS leaders can also be seen singing paeans to Ambedkar. They do so while working against the very ideals that Ambedkar espoused,” claimed Gandhi.

"Modi says representation is being given to deprived classes and cites the number of tickets they get in elections. But, he has snatched away all powers from MLAs and MPs. Even his ministers function with an OSD appointed on recommendation of the RSS breathing down their necks,” alleged the Congress leader.

Gandhi also asserted that the number of Dalits is negligible in the media, a reason why their issues do not get highlighted.

In educational institutions, Dalits have still not reached the stage where “we can see them setting the question papers”, he said.

"The public health network in the country, which was meant to serve the needs of common people, is giving way to private hospitals that are owned by Ambani, Adani and their ilk. Needless to say, there is no Dalit among the country's billionaires,” Gandhi claimed.

The former Congress chief said the first step in the direction of better participation of the depressed classes would be a caste census, "a veritable X-ray of the society... which the Modi government wants to avoid but we are determined to push through".

He also claimed that the caste survey in Bihar, ruled by the BJP-led NDA, was not up to the mark, unlike a similar exercise undertaken by his party's government in Telangana.

During his speech, Gandhi cited the example of the change that came about in the US when “Blacks started having a say in the system”.