'Caste Census Is India's X-Ray': Rahul Gandhi On OBC Reservation In Poll-Bound Chhattisgarh

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Nyay Yojana in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur and addressed a public rally.

Rahul Gandhi launches Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Nyay Yojana in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur

Source : X/@INCIndia

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the issue of caste census saying the survey was conducted by the Congress party but Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not want to show its data to the public. Rahul launched Mukhyamantri Gramin Awas Nyay Yojana (MGANY) in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur. Speaking at the event, the Wayanad MP reiterated his claim that there are currently only 3 secretaries out of the total 90 to the Government of India who belong to the Other Backward Class. 

"They make only 5 per cent of representation. Are there only 5per cent OBC in the country? This is a big question, answer to which can be given by caste census," he said. 

"Caste census is India's X-ray." 

During his speech, he also alleged that whenever he would talk about the caste census in the recently-concluded special session of the Parliament, "the camera would pan to the opposite direction".

The housing scheme is aimed at providing financial assistance to the homeless and families having kutcha houses in the rural areas. At 'Awas Nyay Sammelan', Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel disbursed the first instalment of Rs 25,000 each to 1,30,000 beneficiaries for the construction of houses. 

The total 1.30 lakh beneficiaries include 1 lakh of those who listed on the Permanent Wait List (PWL) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY- rural), but are yet to get the benefit of the Central scheme, an official told news agency PTI. 

During the event, Rupees 5 crore were also transferred to the accounts of 500 beneficiaries under Mukhyamantri Nirman Shramik Awas Sahayata Yojana (MNSASY), launched in May this year. 

Gandhi and Baghel inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of the development and construction works worth Rupees 524.33 crore in Bilaspur district and also distributed appointment letters to 2,594 newly recruited teachers. 

On the directions of Chief Minister Baghel, the Chhattisgarh State Socio-Economic Survey 2023 was conducted between April 1 and April 30 this year in which 10,76,545 families to be having either kutcha house or were homeless. 

Under MGNAY, those homeless families who were left of the survey list of the Socio-Economic Caste Census -2011 (SECC-2011) have been given financial aid by the Chhattisgarh government.