On 21st September, Bhartiya Janata Party president Jagat Prakash Nadda (JP Nadda) schooled Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on his comment about the low number of OBCs (Other Backward Class) in secretaries. Responding to his comments in Lok Sabha on 20th September, Nadda said, “How many secretaries were OBCs from 2004 to 2014? A leader will have to be a leader, tutor will not work out.”
Questioning Gandhi’s knowledge of parliamentary and government matters, Nadda said, “I say it repeatedly. The leader has to become a leader. Tutoring cannot work all the time. These tutored statements do not work. It could have worked if the tutor was a leader. But they [Congress] bring an NGO to tutor. These NGOs have zero knowledge and give you statements. What you do? You say those things [in the parliament] ‘I was shocked and shattered’. It was obvious you were shocked. You did not read the details.”
Nadda reminded Gandhi that it was in 1992 when the Supreme Court passed an order to give reservations to OBCs in All India Services, and the first SC/ST and OBCs category batch joined the Services in 1995-96. Considering the dates and the current cut-off year for the empanelment of secretaries, that is, 1992, the secretaries present are the people before the 1992 batch. He said, “In 1992, the Supreme Court said that you should give reservation to OBCs in All India Services. In 1995-96, the SC/ST and OBCs category joined the Services. Today, the cut-off year for the empanelment of secretaries is 1992. The secretaries present are the people before the 1992 batch. How many secretaries were at OBC from 2004 to 2014? A leader will have to be a leader; tutor will not work out.”
On 20th September, Gandhi said, “I was shocked to find out that out of 90 secretaries in the government of India, only three are OBCs. These secretaries only control 5 per cent of the budget. If the country’s budget is 44 lakh crore, then 2.4 lakh crore controls it.”
Furthermore, Nadda pointed out that the BJP gave the country its first OBC Prime Minister. He said, “BJP and NDA gave the first OBC Prime Minister for India, and that is Narendra Modi. They talk about OBC. Out of 303 BJP MPs, 85 are OBC, which makes 29 per cent. Out of 1358 MLAs, 27 per cent are OBCs. Out of 163 MLCs, 40 per cent are OBCs. We have more OBC MPs than the total number of Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha.”
Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier schooled Rahul Gandhi on the same statement. HM Shah said, “One of my colleagues (Rahul Gandhi) was saying that the number of those who run the country is three who belong to the OBC category. Now who will make him (Rahul Gandhi) understand that the government runs the country, not the secretaries.” He added, “You (Rahul Gandhi) are not here to listen, but I want to tell you that 29 per cent of MPs in our party belong to the OBC community. If you want to do a comparison, just come to us.” He further added that there are 29 ministers who belong to the community. Out of 1358 MLAs, 365 MLAs in the BJP belong to the OBC community.
Gandhi, who tried to target the ruling party, claiming they did not take care of the OBCs, was brutally refuted by the ministers and senior BJP leaders as he had failed to get his facts and numbers right in the first place.