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Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of nationwide caste census and said that he never heard a word about it from both PM Modi and Kejriwal.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (image: X/@INCIndia)
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal saying that both leaders were no different in making fake promises to the people.
Addressing his first Delhi poll rally in Seelampur, the Congress MP traded barbs at both the leaders saying that they keep mum on the issue of caste census as they do not want backwards, Dalits, tribals and minorities to get their due share.
मोदी और केजरीवाल दोनों नहीं चाहते कि दलितों, पिछड़ों, आदिवासियों और अल्पसंख्यकों को उनका हक़ मिले।सिर्फ कांग्रेस ही समान भागीदारी और संविधान की रक्षा के लिए लगातार आवाज़ उठा रही है।
आप सभी दिल्लीवासी इस फर्क को समझिए! pic.twitter.com/61cJ36iDOX
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 13, 2025
Gandhi also promised a caste survey in Delhi if the Congress formed the government in the national capital.
“…Prime Minister Modi and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal do not even speak about caste census. Both want backward communities, Dalits, tribals and minorities to not get their rights… You should ask Prime Minister Modi and Arvind Kejriwal whether they support caste census or not… After the Congress government is formed in Delhi, we will conduct caste census in the national capital…” he said.
#WATCH | Delhi: Addressing a public rally in Seelampur, Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi says, “…Prime Minister Modi and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal do not even speak about caste census. Both want backward communities, Dalits, tribals and minorities to… pic.twitter.com/JD7ihwakSk— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2025
He further targeted his INDIA alliance ally and said that the AAP convenor was following “Modi’s strategy of propaganda and false promises” despite rising pollution, corruption and inflation in the national capital.
The Congress and AAP are part of the INDIA bloc. The two parties had fought the Lok Sabha election together in Delhi, but are contesting the assembly polls separately.
Lashing out at Kejriwal, the Gandhi scion accused him of running a “clean Delhi propaganda”, where he promised to turn the national capital into Paris. He said instead, corruption, pollution and inflation rose.
“Do you remember that Delhi when Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister of the national capital? … Arvind Kejriwal had said he will clean Delhi, make it corruption-free. There is so much pollution in Delhi… Did Arvind Kejriwal make Delhi corruption-free? Arvind Kejriwal campaigns in the same way as PM Modi does and makes false promises to the people,” Gandhi said, adding that the Congress would raise the reservation cap if the party formed the government in Delhi.
He urged the people to support the Congress and make it victorious, asserting that the party would ensure Delhi’s development as in the past under Sheila Dikshit’s government.
“Neither Kejriwal nor the BJP can do what the Congress had done,” Gandhi said.
He said a battle of ideology is currently on in the country.
“It is written in the Constitution that India belongs to everyone. The BJP-RSS people spread hatred, make people fight,” he alleged.
AAP Chief Reacts
Kejriwal reacted to Gandhi’s allegations on him and said that he won’t be commenting on his remarks as Gandhi’s fight is to save Congress, while he is fighting is to save the country
“Today Rahul Gandhi came to Delhi. He abused me a lot. But I will not comment on his statements. His fight is to save Congress, my fight is to save the country,” he said in a post on X.
आज राहुल गांधी जी दिल्ली आए। उन्होंने मुझे बहुत गालियाँ दीं। पर मैं उनके बयानों पर कोई टिप्पणी नहीं करूँगा।उनकी लड़ाई कांग्रेस बचाने की है, मेरी लड़ाई देश बचाने की है।
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 13, 2025
Delhi Elections 2025
Voting for the Delhi polls will take place on February 5 in a single phase while the counting of votes will take place on February 8.
(With inputs from agencies)
