SAYING THAT 90 per cent of the population representing “Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and minorities” are unrepresented across different fields and there are “two different sets of rules” although the Constitution is a “document of equality”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the “system is aligned against lower castes”. Mentioning former Congress Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, he said he “understands the system from inside” as he’s been “sitting inside the system since birth”. Speaking at a panel discussion in Panchkula, Gandhi said: “I have been sitting inside the system since birth. I understand the system from inside. You cannot hide the system from me. How it works, who it favours, how it favours, who it protects, who it attacks, I know everything, I can see it as I have come from inside it. At the Prime Minister's house, when my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) was the PM, Papa (Rajiv Gandhi) was there, Manmohan Singh ji was there, I used to go. I know the system from inside. And I am telling you, the system is aligned against lower castes, in a terrifying manner (bhayankar tareeke), at every level. Look at the corporate system, media system, bureaucracy, judiciary, education system, military, wherever you look, there is no participation of 90 per cent. And an argument is raised about merit. How is it possible that 90 per cent don't have merit? It is just not possible. There has to be some flaw in the system.” Referring to the arrests of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, he said: “Two chief ministers are jailed. One who hails from Adivasi community continues to be in jail. The media has forgotten about him. They are elected representatives, who people of two states elected. Two different sets of rules are followed. Mayawati is corrupt, but Naveen Patnaik is not, but Lalu ji is corrupt. Different rules are being followed. If an Uber driver, truck driver or bus driver are involved in a road accident, they are caught, jailed and sentenced. In Pune, a 17-year-old child gets drunk, drives a Porsche, kills two and has been asked to write an essay. If he will write an essay, get those truck drivers, Uber drivers and tempo drivers also to write essays only”. “90 per cent of our population is Dalit, Adivasi, OBCs and minorities. The idea of the Constitution was that this 90 per cent should participate in debates, they should be represented. If 10 of us are sitting here on the stage and I am holding the mic and they aren't getting any mic, what's the purpose of this debate,” he said. Gandhi said that if the INDIA bloc comes to power, he would get three surveys done – a caste survey to find out the population of OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis and poor general castes; a survey on participation of these categories in all fields including judiciary, media, corporate houses; and a financial survey to find out the distribution of India's wealth. He said that while Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about giving “respect” to these groups, they need “partnership”. “The day Dalits, OBCs, Adivasis get partnership in power, they will automatically get respect. You keep your respect with you; we need space in institutions, we need diagnosis, we need participation,” he said. Saying that the INDIA bloc would defeat the BJP-led NDA, he said: “The BJP's end is approaching. Our job is to create a vision for the next 10-20 years, ensuring the participation of this 90 per cent, with peace, without anger.” Earlier in the day, addressing an election rally in Dadri, which is part of the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh Lok Sabha constituency, Gandhi said the INDIA bloc would scrap the Agnipath scheme if it comes to power. “India’s borders are secured by the youth of Haryana among other states. You have patriotism in your heart, blood and DNA. Narendra Modi ji has transformed India’s soldier into a labourer. He says there will be two types of martyrs – first, a regular jawan or officer, whose family will get pension, martyr’s status and all other facilities; and second, a poor family’s son who is named Agniveer, who will neither get martyr’s status, nor pension, nor CSD facility. The Army doesn’t want this scheme, it has been imposed by the PMO. The first thing that the INDIA bloc government will do is to throw this scheme in the dustbin. There will be only one category of martyrs,” he said. Announcing a loan waiver for farmers, he said a loan waiver commission would be set up. “If Modi ji can waive Rs 16 lakh crore worth of loans of 22 billionaires, we shall also waive the loans of our farmers,” he said. Targeting Modi, he said: “The balloon has burst. I can get him to say whatever I want. First, I told him that for 10 years, he did not take the names of Adani and Ambani. Two days later, Modi ji said that Adani is giving money to Congress in tempos. How do you know that they are sending money in tempos? If you know, why didn’t you initiate a probe through the CBI, IT, ED? His image has taken a blow.” Referring to the Congress’s promise of giving Rs 8,500 monthly to women from BPL families and unemployed youth, he said: “Modi gave money to billionaires who spent it in foreign countries. We are putting money in your pockets. You will spend this money in villages and cities of India. You will buy clothes, shoes, motorcycles etc. When you make such purchases, all the factories/ industries that have been shut by Narendra Modi will once again become functional and, consequently, generate more employment. On July 5, we shall switch on the ignition and India’s economy will take off.” The Congress leader also targeted the media: “I have to call them (media) friends, but they are not our friends. They are not friends with farmers, poor and downtrodden; they are friends with billionaires and Modi ji. Whenever I travelled across the country, price rise and unemployment were the core issues raised by people. But the media won’t show you these issues.”
