Rajnath dares Congress to come up with a concrete plan for 'caste census'

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday criticised the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi for their promise to conduct a "caste census," accusing them of using the issue as a ploy to manipulate voters for political gain.

Speaking at a rally in Jharkhand's Mahagama, Singh challenged the Congress to come up with a concrete plan for distributing reservation benefits among the numerous castes and sub-castes in the country.

"In 2011, a socio-economic caste census was conducted, which revealed the presence of around 46 lakh castes, sub-castes, and gotras. According to the Ministry of Social Welfare, there are about 1,200 Scheduled Castes (SC), over 750 Scheduled Tribes (ST), and around 2,500 Other Backward Classes (OBCs). How will Congress manage the distribution of reservation quotas among all these groups?" Singh asked.

He further demanded that Congress present a clear blueprint for implementing such a system.

Singh also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying, "He should answer how many castes reside in India. Politics should be about serving the people, not just forming a government."  He accused Congress of engaging in opportunistic politics, claiming that the party has historically ruined alliances with regional partners such as RJD in Bihar, JKNC in Jammu & Kashmir, and now it is the turn of DMK in Tamil Nadu. "Congress uses these alliances to attain power, but ultimately it harms its partners," he said.

On the subject of corruption, Singh alleged that the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition in Jharkhand had engaged in widespread corruption, even going as far as taking bribes for issuing death certificates.

He contrasted this with the BJP's record in the state, stating, "So far, 13 Chief Ministers have governed Jharkhand, but none of the three BJP CMs ever faced corruption charges or went to jail."  Singh expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in the ongoing Jharkhand elections, predicting that the party would secure two-thirds of the 43 seats up for election in the first phase.

He pointed to a 3 per cent increase in voter turnout as an indicator of strong support for the NDA government in the state, signaling a stable and corruption-free future under the BJP.