LoP in Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: In campaign rallies in Jharkhand, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing it of burning Manipur and making attempts to divide people on religious lines while snatching 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' from tribals.
Travelling in the poll-bound state for the second time, he also emphasised the need for a Caste Census saying it is "a must to identify the participation" of tribals, Dalits and OBCs in various institutions and wealth of the country.
Addressing a public meeting in Lohardaga, he said, "the BJP burnt Manipur and attempted to divide people on religious lines. It incited Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs against each other. In recently held Haryana elections, the BJP incited Jats against non-Jats. This is the character of the BJP."
Insisting that he is here to unite and strengthen India, he claimed the BJP accused him of dividing India when he raised his voice for tribals and Dalits.
"If I am wrong for raising the voice for 90% of India's population, which constitutes tribals, Dalits and OBCs, for their participation in governance, I will continue to do so," he added.
Claiming that the BJP waived loans of 25 capitalists worth Rs 16 lakh crore, he asked, "did the BJP government waive any loan of Jharkhand farmers?...No because you are tribals, Dalits and OBCs. The BJP will never waive your debts because it waives debts of capitalists."
At a rally in Simdega, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls tribals 'vanvasi' because the BJP believes that land, forest and water belong to them, the RSS and capitalists.
"The BJP believes in grabbing tribal land under its newly coined word development. It wants to snatch 'Jal, Jungle, Jameen' (water, forest, land) from tribals,"he said.
He also promised that the I.N.D.I.A. bloc would remove the cap on 50 per cent reservation at any cost and if it is voted to power in Jharkhand, we will raise reservation of STs to 28 per cent from the present 26 per cent, SCs to 12 per cent from 10 per cent and OBCs to 27 per cent from 14 per cent." The guarantees announced by the bloc had made this promise