Congress counters BJP campaign by announcing OBC welfare panel, caste census in 2024

AICC OBC department chairman Capt Ajay Yadav said the party will also ask the Congress governments in states to set up separate OBC departments and will opt for a caste census if the party comes to power at the Centre in 2024, writes ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi:The Congress on Tuesday said that it set up a Special Group, which will advise party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, on various social welfare schemes in a bid to counter the BJP’s attack against Rahul Gandhi over the OBC issue. “We will set up a National Council for Social Justice, which will advise our party president Kharge from time to time on the various welfare schemes for the SC, ST, OBC and minorities,” AICC OBC department chairman Capt Ajay Yadav said.

According to Yadav, a former Haryana minister, the party will also ask the Congress governments in states to set up separate OBC departments and will opt for a caste census if the party comes to power at the Centre in 2024. “We have an OBC department in Maharashtra. I have spoken to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who said that he will open an OBC department. This will allow for proper budgetary allocation for the community, which is otherwise left behind,” said Yadav.

The Congress claimed that the previous UPA government had conducted a caste census to determine the exact OBC population for reservation, but the data was stalled by the BJP government. “If we come to power in 2024, the Congress will go for a fresh caste census,” Yadav said. The AICC OBC department chairman further said that the community members were not getting the benefit of reservation in higher education due to lack of proper data. The statements from the Congress OBC department head came days after the BJP launched a nationwide drive against Rahul Gandhi to paint him as anti-OBC.

The BJP is referring to Rahul’s remarks in 2019 that how come all thieves had a common surname Modi when he talked about fugitives Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and also mentioned the name of Narendra Modi in the same speech. A defamation case against Rahul was then filed by a BJP leader in Surat, Gujarat who alleged that Rahul had insulted the entire OBC community. The local court convicted and sentenced Rahul for two years in jail on March 23.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat cancelled Rahul’s membership over the sentence on March 24. The former MP has filed an appeal in a Surat sessions court against the trial court order. The matter will be heard on April 13. As the Congress announced measures to woo the OBCs, the party also deployed Subhashini Yadav, daughter of RJD leader Sharad Yadav, to defend Rahul and target the BJP.

“Our party has a Dalit as President and has two Chief Ministers from the OBC community. Can the BJP tell us how many Chief Ministers it has from the community. The BJP is playing the OBC card against our leader Rahul Gandhi because he asked questions over Adani. But the OBCs are aware now. They know that the BJP has done nothing for them since coming to power at the Centre,” Subhashini said. “The OBC community is hard working. If some members have turned out to be thieves, it is a matter of shame for us. Rahulji is being targeted because he is asking where the country’s money went,” she added.