New Delhi, Sep 20: Only three of the 90 secretaries posted in Narendra Modi government belongs to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said in Lok Sabha. He also pushed for a separate quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the women’s reservation bill and also pushed for the Caste Census data to be released.
“Daro mat, daro mat (don’t be afraid),” Rahul said, referring to the Caste Census,” he stated that the government has 90 secretaries. “I asked myself how many of these secretaries are from the OBC community, and the answer shocked and shattered me.” Only three of them are from the OBC community and control only 5% of India’s budget,” Rahul explained.
Following an uproar over his “daro mat” remark, Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla urged Rahul to not use such a phrase. The speaker also reminded him that the discussion is on the women’s reservation bill.
“This discussion is about women being a group of people of India and the OBCs being another group of people of India. The OBCs, who number a huge percentage, control and define 5% of India’s budget. This is an insult and a shame to the OBC community,” Rahul Gandhi further said.
He questioned how many OBCs, Dalits and adivasis there are in the country, and said it could only be determined using the Caste Census. “The moment the opposition raises the caste census, the Bhartiya Janata Party tries to create a new distraction,” he said, hitting out at the Centre.
Pushing for an OBC quota in the women’s reservation bill, Rahul Gandhi said the move was “incomplete” as it lacks a quota for the community.
He also said the President should have been invited when the transfer of proceedings took place from the old to the new Parliament building.
“This is quite a nice building, nice peacock feathers on the ground and the chair. It is a nice, tasteful building. But frankly, I would have liked to see the President of India, who is a woman. She represents the tribal community. It would have been befitting to have her visible in this transfer from one house to the other,” Rahul said.
