BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s caste remark during his Lok Sabha speech has baffled the Congress party leaders. On Tuesday, July 30, during the debate over the demand for a caste census, which was spearheaded by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said those whose caste is unknown are calling for an enumeration.
Responding to the remark made by the BJP MP, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, while speaking to the media, took less than 55 seconds to take a completely divergent stance on the caste issue. From asserting that asking the caste of a person is like abusing him, Gurjeet Singh Aujla went on to say that his party is in favour of the caste census.
The manner in which Anurag Thakur is conducting himself is not civil. Is it right to ask someone’s caste?…Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Eke Pehchan Bo, he should learn from it. He sits there and abuses to appease his masters, it is not right. It is Parliament. It is the job of the Opposition to raise issues, and that of the Ruling side to answer them and not to abuse,” the Congres leader said. When asked on caste census, Gurjeet Singh Aujla added, “We will make all efforts to get it passed (in the Parliament).”
#WATCH | On BJP MP Anurag Thakur's remarks in the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla says, "…The manner in which Anurag Thakur is conducting himself is not civil. Is it right to ask someone's caste?…Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Eke Pehchan Bo, he should learn from it. He sits… pic.twitter.com/V01KEC9O5L
— ANI (@ANI) July 31, 2024
The fiasco began after Anurag Thakur remarked on the caste census. On Tuesday, while delivering his Lok Sabha speech, the BJP MP, without taking any names said, “Those whose caste is not known, talk about the caste census. I want to remind the Speaker that in this House itself, a former prime minister RG-1 had opposed reservation for OBCs,” Thakur began the exchange, possibly referring to Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul’s father.
Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rahul Gandhi attacked the government by using the customary “halwa” ceremony and the absence of diversity in the process of preparing the budget. This prompted the BJP to respond by claiming that the Congress has a history “replete with instances of obstructing reservation.”
Thakur responded to this remark on Tuesday by enumerating the purported scams that have occurred throughout Congress administrations and remarked in Hindi, “Rahul ji, you spoke about ‘halwa’ (sweetmeat). Who had the ‘halwa’ from the Bofors scam, from the Antriksh-Dewas scam, from the Commonwealth Games, National Herald, submarine, AgustaWestland, 2G, coal, urea and fodder scams? Rahul ji, was the ‘halwa’ sweet or tasteless? Some people talk about OBCs, but for them (the Congress) OBC stands for ‘only for brother-in-law commission’. This party will talk about other backward castes?”
“The ‘shahzada’ (prince) from this party will give us ‘gyan’? First, he has to understand what LoP stands for – it is the Leader of the Opposition and not the Leader of propaganda. All I want to say is that he should stop spreading lies. There is a lot of talk about OBC and caste census. He whose caste is unknown is talking about a census?” Anurag Thakur added.
Retorting sharply to the former minister ‘enquiring’ about his caste, the ex-Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who has been harping for a nationwide caste census, accused Anurag Thakur of ‘insulting’ him.
Congress and its caste census farce
For months on end, the entire I.N.D.I. alliance, in partnership with Congress and Rahul Gandhi, has been advocating for a caste-based census and the concept of ‘proportional representation based on population.’ The unveiled caste census data in Bihar had set the stage, and against this backdrop, Rahul Gandhi consistently emphasised that a Congress government will conduct a comprehensive nationwide caste census, urging the Modi government to reveal its results.
In December last year, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had addressed a huge rally in Maharashtra’s Nagpur citing the occasion of the Congress’ 139th foundation day. Speaking at the party’s ‘Hain Taiyyar Hum’ rally, he stated that the Congress will conduct a caste census if it comes to power at the Centre post the Lok Sabha elections in 2024.
This recent love and affection of Congress for OBCs is, however, only politically motivated. Rahul Gandhi’s assertion regarding Congress advocating for the welfare of the OBC community is contradicted by historical facts. The Congress has consistently opposed the interests of the OBC community, particularly evident in their stance on reservations, often citing the Mandal Commission. Notably, the commission was established during Morarji Desai’s Janata Party government in 1979, with its report published in 1980.
Despite this, during Indira Gandhi’s tenure from 1980 to 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi’s term from 1984 to 1989, the Mandal Commission recommendations were not implemented. It was only in 1990, under the Janata Dal government, with support from the BJP, that the Mandal Commission recommendations were finally put into effect. Thus, Rahul Gandhi’s claim has repeatedly been found to be inaccurate in light of historical events.
