Congress MP Rahul Gandhi stirred controversy on Tuesday during a campaign rally in Kutumba, Bihar, ahead of the Assembly election starting Thursday. He claimed that the Indian Army is “under the control of 10 % of the country’s population,” referring to the upper castes.
Rahul Gandhi says 10% control India’s Institutions
Addressing a public gathering, Gandhi said, “If you look closely, 90 % of the country’s population is Dalit, Maha Dalit, backward, extremely backward, or from minority communities. Ninety percent of the people come from the most backward and tribal sections of society.”
He added, “If you take a list of India’s 500 largest companies, you won’t find anyone from the backward or Dalit communities there; they all come from that top 10 %. All the jobs go to them. They have control over the armed forces. You won’t find the remaining 90 % of the population represented anywhere.”
How does BJP reacts?
Reacting to his remarks, BJP leader Suresh Nakhua said, “Rahul Gandhi is now searching for a caste in the Armed Forces and says 10% of people control it. In his hate for PM Modi, he has already crossed the line of hating India.”
This is not the first time he has made controversial comments about the Army. In August, he was reprimanded by the Supreme Court for his statement that “Chinese troops are thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh” during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. The Congress MP had claimed that the Chinese Army occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory and was “thrashing” Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.
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