People from 10% of population control key institutions: Rahul calls for wider representation

Says Nitish forced people of the state to become labourers across India

Rahul Gandhi has addressed two press conferences earlier to make claims about vote theft

As campaigning concluded for the first phase of the Bihar elections, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged Tuesday that lower castes, tribal communities and minorities have little representation in private firms, the judiciary, the bureaucracy and the Armed Forces, and that people from “10 per cent” of the population control these institutions.

Gandhi was speaking at a rally in Kutumba Assembly constituency, where Bihar Congress chief and current MLA Rajesh Kumar will face Lalan Ram of NDA ally Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular). Gandhi also addressed rallies in Aurangabad and Wazirganj on Tuesday. The first phase of the Bihar polls is on November 6.

The Congress leader said in Kutumba: “If you look at the country’s population, then you will see that nearly 90 per cent people are Dalit, Mahadalit, backward, most backward, tribals or minorities. But if you see companies owned by Ambani and Adani and if you take out a list of the 500 biggest companies, you should find these communities represented. You will not find one. All hail from the 10 per cent of population. All bank money goes to them, they get a place in the bureaucracy. You should see the judiciary. They have control in the Army too. You will not find the 90 per cent anywhere.”

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“We don’t want this kind of India. We want an India where 90 per cent people have space, where there is brotherhood,” he said.

Gandhi also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming he is “indifferent towards education because he has a fake degree”. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the Congress MP alleged, has “forced the people of the state to become labourers across India”.

He said that the day an INDIA bloc government is formed at the Centre, the best university of the world would be in Nalanda. “There was a time when the world’s best university was in Nalanda, Bihar. There used to be a queue of people to study here. People from China, Japan, Korea, England would line up to study at Nalanda. But Narendra Modi ji doesn’t know these things,” he said.

In Aurangabad, Gandhi claimed Modi was promoting social media “addiction” among youth in order to distract them from the pressing issues of education, health and employment.

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“Modi wants you to become addicted to making reels, Instagram, Facebook… This is the new ‘nasha’ of the 21st century. This would ensure the youth remain distracted, and do not hold his government accountable,” he said.

Gandhi repeated his charge that Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were carrying out “vote chori” (vote theft) in Bihar, “as they knew the NDA would not win the Assembly polls”.

“The INDIA bloc, if voted to power in Bihar, will be a government of the extremely backward, socially marginalised and Dalits,” the LOP said.

Tejashwi promise to farmers

Meanwhile on Tuesday, RJD leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav promised farmers `300 per quintal of paddy and `400 per quintal for wheat as a bonus over MSP if the INDIA bloc comes to power.

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At a press conference in Patna, the chief ministerial face of the bloc, said heads of all Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Primary Marketing Cooperative Societies (Vyapar Mandals) will be given the “status of people’s representatives”.

There are more than 8,400 PACS in the state, he said.

The announcements come two days ahead of the first phase of voting to the 243-member Bihar Assembly on November 6. The second phase of polling is on November 11. Results will be announced on November 14.