Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra reaches Bihar; Rahul Gandhi slams PM, silent on Nitish Kumar

Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Bihar focuses on social and economic justice, demanding a caste-based census.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 29 reached Bihar, where he addressed a rally in Kishanganj district. During his speech, he slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a caste-based census across the country, but failed to speak about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s shift to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Mr. Gandhi termed Bihar as “the land of social justice” and said the country was “looking at the people of Bihar” because no one understands social justice better than people of the State.

“At the time when the BJP and RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] talk about dividing the country on basis of caste and religion apart from spreading hatred, the Congress party is focusing on spreading love, respect and brotherhood,” Mr. Gandhi said.

The former Congress president informed the audience that he added the word “nyay” (justice) to the name of his yatra because the poor people of the country are unable to get economic and social justice. He said the country’s economy “has been handed over to a few billionaires” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Airports, ports, infrastructure, hospitals, and universities... everything is being handed over to two to three industrialists,” he criticised.

He claimed the Central government does not help the poor, labourers or farmers and that the doors of banks are closed for the poor “but they are always open for industrialists at the behest of the Prime Minister’s Office”.

“Without social and economic justice, the country can never develop. What the BJP talks about is just hollow. For example, OBCs [Other Backward Castes] account for 50% of the population in the country, 15% are Dalits, 15% are Minority, and 12% Tribal. The government of this country is run by 90 IAS officers and they are ones who allocate the budget to defence, health, agriculture, and other sectors. I want to tell the OBC people of Bihar that there are only three OBC IAS officers among the 90. If ₹100 is allocated, then the OBC officer allocates ₹5. This is the reality,” Mr. Gandhi said.

The Congress leader stressed that everyone has the right to know the exact population of OBCs, minority communities, tribal and general classes, and for that, caste-based census is a “revolutionary step”.