Gandhi family's caste martyrdom: Congress hits back at Anurag Thakur

New Delhi, July 30 (PTI) The Congress on Tuesday said the Gandhi family's caste is martyrdom but the BJP-RSS will never understand that, as it slammed the ruling party over its MP Anurag Thakur's apparent questioning of Rahul Gandhi's caste.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came down heavily on Thakur's apparent questioning of Rahul Gandhi's caste in the Lok Sabha and said it was stated in the House that those whose caste is not known talk about a caste census.

"A socio-economic caste census is the demand of 80 per cent of the people of this country. Today, it was said in Parliament that those whose caste is not known talk about a caste census," she said in a post in Hindi on X.

Will 80 per cent of India's population be abused in Parliament now, she asked.

"(Prime Minister) Narendra Modi should clarify whether this happened at his behest," she added.

Congress's media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the words used by Thakur for Rahul Gandhi are echoing in the minds of people and they are angry over it.

"The real face of the BJP has come to the fore. This mindset can only be of the BJP that such abuses are used for a person who is the son of a family of martyrs. He is told that your caste is not known. We will tell you what his caste is. Rahul Gandhi's father is a martyr and this family's caste is martyrdom. This the RSS, the BJP and Thakur can never understand," Khera said in a video statement.

He said the Congress does not want the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) apology over the issue.

"The caste census will take place in the country. You can abuse the Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress as much as you want, but this fight will continue. Justice will be done," Khera said.