New Delhi: Congress leader and Lok Sabha’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has been issued a summons by a Bareilly district court in Uttar Pradesh. The notice, requiring his appearance on January 7th, stems from a petition challenging statements he made during the Lok Sabha election campaign concerning a proposed caste census and wealth redistribution.
The petitioner, Pankaj Pathak, alleges that Gandhi’s statements aimed to incite societal division. Pathak initially filed his case in an MP-MLA court, but after its dismissal, he appealed to the district court, where the appeal was accepted, resulting in the summons for Gandhi. “We felt that the statement given by Rahul Gandhi during the elections on caste census was like an attempt to start a civil war in the country…We first filed a case against him in MP-MLA court which was dismissed. After that we went to the District Judge Court, our appeal was accepted there and a notice was issued to Rahul Gandhi…The date in the notice is for 7th January,” Pathak was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Pathak’s complaint centres on Gandhi’s assertion that a Congress government would conduct a comprehensive caste census to determine the population and socioeconomic status of various groups, followed by a financial and institutional survey to identify wealth distribution. This data, Gandhi stated, would then inform policies aimed at redistributing wealth, jobs, and welfare schemes proportionally across different sections of society. He emphasized the principle of “jitni aabadi, utna haq” (equal rights for all).
This statement, which faced opposition from several political parties at the time, has been revived by the court’s decision to issue a notice to Gandhi. The petitioner claims that the proposal to redistribute wealth and the emphasis on caste-based data collection constitute an attempt to instigate conflict and social unrest within the nation. He contends that such statements are harmful to social harmony and therefore warrant legal action.
“First, we will conduct a caste census…to know the exact population and status of backward castes, SCs, STs, minorities and other castes. After that, the financial and institutional survey will begin. Subsequently, we will take up the historic assignment to distribute the wealth of India, jobs and other welfare schemes to these sections based on their population,” Gandhi had said.
The court summons compels Gandhi to appear and respond to these allegations.
