Patna: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused certain organisations, including the RSS and prominent industrial houses, of exerting control over the country. Speaking at the ‘Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan’ in Patna, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha called for a nationwide caste census and pledged that Congress would abolish the 50 per cent reservation cap.
Gandhi spoke of the need for a caste census to accurately assess the country’s demographic situation, warning against the “fake” caste census conducted in Bihar. “A policy should be devised based on the results of this census. Congress will pass the caste census in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We will dismantle the 50% reservation barrier,” he said.
‘Power transferred to Ambani, Adani, RSS’
He further criticised the government for allegedly stripping power from marginalised communities despite granting them representation. “The backward communities, Dalits, are getting representation, but the power has been transferred to Ambani, Adani and the RSS. They have placed their own people in every institution,” Gandhi added.
The Congress MP also claimed that MPs and MLAs currently lack real influence in the country. “Where does the Constitution state that all the wealth of India should be controlled by just two or three individuals? Today, MPs and MLAs hold no power. When I speak with BJP MPs from backward communities, Dalits, and tribals, they tell me they are confined like prisoners,” he said.
‘Bhagwat rejected Indian Constitution’
That apart, Gandhi took aim at RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent statement about India’s independence. He accused him of undermining the contributions of key historical figures. “We wanted the spirit of the Constitution to reach every citizen and institution, just like the Ganga’s waters. Recently, Bhagwat said that India did not gain independence on 15th August 1947. By saying this, he is rejecting the Indian Constitution,” Gandhi said. “He is erasing the ideals of Dr BR Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and Buddha from every institution in the country.
