Rahul attacks Modi over OBC stamp, vows to banish ‘vanvasi’ word
Gandhi also told an election meeting in Chhattisgarh that the Bharatiya Janata Party was insulting the tribals by calling them ‘vanvasi’ instead of ‘adivasi’.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding to know why he keeps calling himself an OBC when he claims that the only caste in the country are the poor.
Gandhi also told an election meeting at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was insulting the tribals by calling them ‘vanvasi’ instead of ‘adivasi’ and said his party banish the former term.
Modi says in his speeches that the poor are the only caste in India, the Congress leader told the gathering,
"We all know there are Dalits, adivasis, backwards in the country. If there is only one caste in the country why does he (Modi) call himself an OBC?" Gandhi asked.
The Congress star then accused the BJP and his ideological parent the RSS of coining the word ‘vanvasi’.
"BJP leaders use ‘vanvasi’ term for ‘adivasi’ in their speeches. Narednra Modi and RSS have coined this new term ‘vanvasi’,” Gandhi said.
No to ‘vanvasi’
“There is a huge difference between ‘vanvasi’ and ‘adivasi’ terms. In Madhya Pradesh, a BJP leader urinated on a tribal youth and filmed the act then made it viral...This is the mindset of the BJP.
“They think that your place is in the forest like animals and they treat you like animals," he added.
"Have you ever seen BJP leaders urinating on animals? But you have seen them urinating on an adivasi.
“Adivasi is a revolutionary word... Adivasis mean original owners of the country. BJP does not use this word because if they do, they'll have to return your land, water, and forests to you," Gandhi said.
The word ‘vanvasi’ is an insult to tribals and the Congress will not accept it, he said.
"Earlier, Modiji used vanvasi word in his speeches but now he avoids this word. He has changed his words, but he can't change his thinking. His thinking is still to insult tribals," the Congress leader alleged.
Gandhi also accused the Modi government of giving away land and mines to industrialist Advani forcibly.
“Adanjiji acquires your land and mines. Does money (from them) reach the villages of Chhattisgarh or Bastar? The money goes to America. It goes abroad.
“Adaniji gets benefits from that money. BJP leaders get it (money). The money is used for elections."
Balloting for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held on November 7 and 17. Jagdalpur in tribal-dominated Bastar division is among 20 seats which will go to polls in the first phase.
(With agency inputs)