Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that he had found no Dalit, tribal, or OBC on the winners’ list of Miss India beauty pageant has drawn some sharp remarks from Union Minister of Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, who tweeted that such a remark can only come from a “bal buddhi” (juvenile).
Rahul made the remark during a Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in UP’s Prayagraj on Saturday (August 24), while pressing for a nationwide “caste census”. He said he had checked the list of former Miss India winners but found no Dalit, tribal, or OBC among them.
Rahul’s attack on media
“Some will talk about cricket or Bollywood. No one will show the cobbler or plumber. Even top anchors in the media are not from the 90 per cent [of the people who are underrepresented in top positions],” he said.
“They will say Modiji embraced someone and we have become a superpower. How have we become a superpower when 90 per cent of the people has no participation?” he asked, attacking the mainstream media of the country.
Shri Rahul Gandhi Ji can’t divide our country. PM @narendramodi Ji made it clear that Supreme Court won’t be allowed to alter reservations in IAS, IPS, IFS, all top services recruitment. But he can’t see 1st Tribal President, OBC PM, Record Numbers of SC/ST Cabinet Ministers!
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 25, 2024
Rijiju’s dig
Rijiju, an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, responding to Rahul’s comment, pointed out that while the government does not select Miss India winners, Olympic athletes, and actors for films, the Congress leader had missed the first tribal President, Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who belongs to the OBC category, and the record number of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Cabinet ministers.
“Now, He wants reservations in Miss India competitions, films, sports! It is not only issue of ‘Bal Budhi’, but people who cheer him are equally responsible too (sic)!” Rijiju tweeted, adding in Hindi (translated), “Juvenile wit may be good for entertainment but don’t make fun of our backward communities with your divisive tactics.”
Rahul’s warning
Incidentally, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha had alleged on Saturday that the BJP might say that he was trying to divide the country with his demand of a caste census.
“We want to know how many in institutions, corporates, Bollywood, Miss India are from the 90 per cent. I am only saying that 90 per cent did not have ‘bhagidari’ and this should be checked,” he said.
The government is yet to announce any date for the long-awaited decadal census, which may reportedly have a caste column because of the repeated demands for a caste census by the Opposition and even some NDA allies of the BJP. However, there is no clarity on the matter yet.
(With agency inputs)
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