Patna, Jan 30 (Representative) Strongly advocating for Social and economic justice to the OBC, dalit and minority communities, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi categorically made it clear that he does not need Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in this mission. Addressing a public rally during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Purnea on Tuesday, Gandhi played the caste card for delivering Social and economic justice to the oppressed communities including OBC, dalits, tribals and minorities of the country. He said that it is essential to know about the details of every caste their actual number, economic condition and their status in society. We have decided to take up a revolutionary step of conducting caste census for social justice. The census would help to know how many OBCs, Dalits, scheduled castes and poor people in general category are there in the country, the Congress leader said. Speaking about the caste survey held in Bihar, the Wayanad Lok Sabha MP said that Nitish Kumar conducted it under the pressure of Congress and RJD. Congress had clearly told Nitish Kumar that it would not spare him if he did not conduct it, claimed Rahul. He alleged that BJP was totally against any caste survey revealing the details about the strength and socio economic status of the OBC, minorities, dalits, tribals. Only to divert the attention from the issue it mounted pressure upon Nitish Kumar who succumbed to the pressure. Gandhi, who during his previous speeches was silent on the issue of Nitish Kumar walking away from the Grand Alliance and joining hands with BJP to form NDA government in Bihar broke his silence. He openly said, “we do not need Nitish Kumar and would attend the mission in Alliance with India”.
Referring to the dismal representation of OBC in the decision making process, Rahul reiterated that of the 90 IAS officers who were running the country only three belonged to the OBC category. He alleged that the decisions taken on the budget by these 90 officers were unbalanced in want of proper representation of other categories. There was no representation of OBC, dalits, tribals in the government, he alleged. The Congress leader said that in Private companies, private educational institutions, hospitals and even in media houses no dalit, OBC or tribal was found as owner. He further alleged that the tribals, daliye and OBC were not getting justice in any of the sector in the country. Speaking about the economic disparities, the former AICC President said that those who really work like farmers, cobblers, mechanics and other classes do not get the real price of their work. To explain Economic disparities, Gandhi made a live example of the 10 kg of fox nut (Makhana) garland presented to him during his welcome and said that the price of 10 kg Makhana in America was Rs 1.50 lakh whereas in Bihar Makhana is being sold only at the rate of Rs 250 per kg. Referring to the huge financial gap. he said the farmers and the oppressed section of the society those who actually work were the most sufferer. The Congress leader said that social economic disparity was the only issue before the nation and the other issues are being raked up only to divert the attention of the people.
“When we talk of social justice, the entire country looks towards Bihar, which has always taken a lead for it,” Rahul said, adding that the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi too had began his movement from Champaran of Bihar. He warned the people not to get distracted by the BJP-RSS which was trying to divert their attention by spreading hatred and violence leading to social tension. Justifying the second phase of his Yatra initiating from Manipur, Rahul said that injustice has been done with the people Manipur following which he has changed the nomenclature of the second phase of his Yatra and the word “Nyay” added to it and renamed it as “Bharat jodo nyay Yatra”. Nyay (justice) was needed for the common man of the country and he would continue to strive for the same, he stressed. Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his silence on violence in Manipur. Even after so much violence and loss of large number of precious lives in Manipur, Narendra Modi did not utter even one word of solace, he lamented. Lastly he said that caste census was necessary at national level and it should be conducted to ensure socio economic justice to those oppressed and deprived. Earlier Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reached Purnea in Bihar this morning. In Purnea, the Congress leader interacted with the farmers before addressing the rally in the afternoon. Being quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED),RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejaswi Yadav could not attend the rally. All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge also could not attend the rally as his plane failed to land at Patna due to bad weather conditions. His recorded video message was displayed in the rally.