JAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday kicked off the party campaign for the Rajasthan assembly election from the tribal belt of the state. Addressing a rally on World Tribal Day at Mangarh Dham, a site of spiritual significance for tribals, Gandhi slammed the BJP for calling the tribal community as vanvasis. He emphasised that the true essence of India is embodied by the voices of SCs, STs, minorities, women and vulnerable segments.
After attacking the Central government on the Manipur issue earlier in the day in Parliament, he trained guns on the BJP again on the issue in his Rajasthan speech. Gandhi said that PM Modi could have easily tackled the case in a few days, but he is simply not interested in tackling the “fires that have been lit”.
“Wherever the BJP goes, they attempt to stifle India’s voice. Their policies have ignited a blaze in Manipur. For three-four months, the flames have ravaged Manipur, leading to loss of life and heinous crimes against women. The spirit of Bharat Mata has been brutally suppressed in Manipur. BJP’s ideology stands accused of this heinous act,” he said.
Targeting BJP for calling the tribal community vanvasis, he said the community is the original inhabitants of India, but the BJP calling them vanvasi or forest dwellers is an insult to the tribal community, he said.
Lamenting BJP’s efforts to silence the marginalised, he said: “Tribals are the original custodians of our nation. The land we now call India was once their domain. My grandmother Indira Gandhi shared this wisdom with me. However, the BJP dismisses them as “forest dwellers” instead of recognising their tribal identity. Such an affront is an insult to both the tribals and Mother India.”
Rajasthan unit of Congress seized this occasion to exhibit unity within the party, with both Sachin Pilot and CM Ashok Gehlot sharing the stage. This marked Gehlot’s first public appearance after several weeks due to his leg injury.
Prior to Rahul Gandhi’s address, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also spoke at the gathering and voiced his dissatisfaction with the Government of India. He attacked the BJP for not making Mangarh Dham a national memorial.
“The promise to develop the Mangarh memorial remained unfulfilled by the central government. Hence, the state government is now taking charge of its development. We are allocating 100 crores towards this project. Additionally, the state government will now provide accommodation for 1 lakh SC, ST, and OBC children, a significant increase from the previous 50 thousand,” Gehlot added. It is notable that in Rajasthan, the tribal regions, particularly those within the Mewar belt, are widely considered the pathway to victory for any political party vying for supremacy in the state.
CLAMOUR FOR CASTE CENSUS GETS LOUDER
CM Ashok Gehlot has announced plans to initiate a caste census in Rajasthan and announced a significant augmentation of the reservation quota for OBCs, elevating it from 21% to 27%. This would also involve the introduction of a distinct six per cent reservation for fundamental OBCs. Gehlot made these declarations during a gathering commemorating World Tribal Day at Mangarh Dham in Banswara on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in Lucknow, Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati reiterated her stand by supporting the caste census and saying caste census should be held across the country.