Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that caste discrimination in India is "unique" and probably among the worst in the world. Addressing a Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee meeting in Hyderabad, Gandhi asserted that he will demolish the artificial barrier of 50 per cent reservations in the country.
The Congress leader said he is fully committed to ensuring a caste census in Telangana and making the state a model for caste census in the country. Rahul Gandhi made the remarks while attending a meeting organised by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on caste survey to be taken up by the state government from November 6.
Telangana is set to become the second Congress-ruled state after Karnataka to undertake caste census. The exercise is set to begin from November 6 and continue till November 30.
Rahul Gandhi while addressing the meeting of party leaders said caste census is the first process to be taken up to assess the extent and nature of discrimination.
“So, I am fully committed to ensuring not only the caste census happens in Telangana, but that Telangana becomes a model for the caste census in the country,” he said.
The Congress MP further said there may be some shortcomings in the caste survey to be taken up by the state government. However, these will be sorted out.
Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, he said he wondered why the PM Modi has not publicly said that he wanted to challenge the idea of discrimination in India.
"Why is the PM scared of asking how many Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis are there in corporates, judiciary, media," he asked.
The Leader of the Opposition said he has committed in Parliament on behalf of Congress to conduct a national caste census.