BJNY: Unfazed by Nitish’s exit, Rahul vows to provide social justice

PURNIA (BIHAR), January 30: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former president Rahul Gandhi today lashed out at Bihar's Chief Minister for his opportunism and greed for sticking to power, saying he had compromised his conscience for small benefits.

Addressing a largely attended public rally on the seventeenth day of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra here today, Rahul Gandhi said the time has come to get the caste x-ray of India done.

In an obvious reference to desertion from ‘INDIA’ by Nitish Kumar, Gandhi said, “It is the responsibility of the alliance to provide social justice, we don't need Nitish Ji here in any way”.

The former Congress president said he had made it categorically clear to Nitish Kumar that a caste census had to be done in the state. However, he added, the BJP did not want to get it done as it has always wanted to divert the public attention. He said Kumar felt trapped and BJP provided him with a way to escape.

Making a strong point for caste census in the country to provide social justice to people, Gandhi said, he has often referred to very poor representation of the OBC officers in the government of India. He said of the 90 Secretaries who are running the government, only 3 are from the OBC community.

He said not only in the government but even in the private sector their representation was nil. “Take any of the top 500 private companies or media houses and see whether any of these was owned by any OBC, Dalit or an Adivasi,” he said.

On economic justice, Gandhi said he wanted the farmers, the workers, the laborers, and everyone should get their rightful due. Quoting the example of foxnuts (makhana), he said adding the farmers get a mere Rs 250 for one kg in India, and the same foxnuts are sold for Rs 15,000 per kg in the US. He said, the farmers should get their rightful due and so should others.

The Congress leader said, there is nothing bigger and greater than providing social and economic justice to people. “If you want a better future for India, you have to provide social and economic justice to everyone”, he said, while referring to the theme and mission of justice of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.

In his video message Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was supposed to address the rally but could not reach there due to bad weather, said that Bihar, which is the land of Gautam Budha, Lord Mahavir and Guru Gobind Singh is now known as the “laboratory of Aya Rams and Gaya Rams”.

In an obvious reference to Nitish Kumar deserting ‘INDIA’, Kharge said, “We are passing through a political phase when big people trade their conscience for small things”.

He asserted that the alliance will stay firm and won’t be disturbed by small disturbances. “Whether anyone stays or leaves, we are not going to compromise our principles and such things don’t affect us”, he said, while adding, that the Congress party has always offered due respect and dignity to everyone.

Kharge cautioned the people of Purnia that the BJP for winning the elections may play the card of the “majority-minority” but they will have to be alert against such machinations. He said extremism does not benefit anyone.

Asserting that the Congress party was much stronger now than it was in 2014 and 2019, he said, this had disturbed the BJP and it has been misusing the ED, the CBI, and the IT. He referred to the harassment being meted out to the family of Lalu Prasad Yadav and the Jharkhand CM.

Among those present at the rally included former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Bhagel, Bihar PCC president Akhilesh Singh, Shakil Ahmad Khan, Madan Mohan Jha, Tariq Anwar, Imran Pratapgarhi, Kanhaiya Kumar, Mohammad Javed, Ahmad Ashfaq Kadri and others.