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Nayan Dwivedi
Oct 04, 2023, 12:56 PM | Updated 12:56 PM IST
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As Congress continues to advocate for a nationwide caste census and labels Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "fake OBC" for not addressing the demand, an internal debate emerged within the party.
Senior MP and legal expert Abhishek Singhvi raised questions about Rahul Gandhi's call for a "proportionate quota," expressing concerns about the potential for "majoritarianism."
According to The Times Of India, Singhvi wrote on X, "Equality of opportunity is never the same as equality of outcomes. People endorsing 'jitni abadi utna haq' have to first completely understand the consequences of it. It will eventually culminate into majoritarianism."
Earlier, Rahul Gandhi introduced the slogan 'jitni abadi utna haq' during a rally in Kolar, Karnataka, advocating for a caste census and proportional rights for communities based on their population.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesman Jairam Ramesh clarified that Singhvi's tweet represented his personal opinion and did not reflect the official stance of the Indian National Congress. The party's position is outlined in the Raipur Declaration of 26 February 2023, and the CWC Resolution of 16 September 2023.
Notably, Singhvi deleted the post around the same time, citing a staff member's inadvertent sharing. He promptly rectified the situation upon noticing the error after leaving a function at the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, In response to PM Modi's characterization of the "caste census" push as a sin, AICC OBC department chairman Ajay Yadav criticised this stance.
Yadav argued that it is, in fact, a virtuous demand that can lead to improved policy formulation for marginalised and economically disadvantaged communities.
Yadav also questioned Modi's claim of being an OBC, referring to him as a "fake OBC," and urged him to support the call for a caste census.
Nayan Dwivedi is Staff Writer at Swarajya.