50% quota cap must go to protect Constitution; INDIA to fight for it: Rahul

The existing 50 per cent cap on reservation must be removed to protect the Constitution, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said, adding that the INDIA bloc will ensure that laws regarding this are passed in Parliament.

Rahul was speaking at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Kolhapur on Saturday (October 5) when he made the remarks. He asserted that the Congress and the INDIA bloc will ensure that a caste-based census is caried out.

Two aspects of caste census

“We will ensure that the barrier of 50 per cent cap on reservation will be removed in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and no power can stop it. Removing this 50 per cent limit is necessary to protect the Constitution,” he said.

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Rahul said when his party Congress talks about a caste census, it wants to add two more aspects to it — one is to identify the population of each community and the second one on how much control they have over India’s financial system. The caste-based census will help gather data on the population of different communities.

He said the doors of opportunity are being closed on 90 per cent of the country’s population.

IAS officers who decide Budget

Ninety top IAS officers decide India’s Budget, he claimed, and said the OBC community comprises at least 50 per cent of the population, but only three of the 90 officers are OBCs.

Dalits and Adivasis (tribals) comprise 15 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, but have only three and one officers from those communities, respectively, according to the Congress leader.

Why BJP opposes caste census

Rahul said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) oppose caste-based census, as they don’t want the truth to come out.

The history of Dalits or backward classes was not being taught in schools, he said, alleging that efforts are now being made to erase that history.

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The Congress leader said the public sector is being privatised, and noted that it should be termed as de-reservation.

He accused the RSS and BJP of doing this for years.

Agnipath scheme a “ploy”

Rahul claimed the Agnipath scheme in the armed forces is a ploy to snatch pension from 90 per cent of people.

“The reality of the Agnipath scheme is that the pension of Indian youth, compensation, canteen facilities, and respect have been snatched from them,” the former Congress president said.

(With agency inputs)