Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday emphasising the need for caste census in India, said that he checked the list of former Miss India but found no Dalit, tribal, or OBC among the winners.
The former Congress chief said that without the participation of "90 per cent" of its people, the country cannot operate.
Gandhi made the remark during a 'Samvidhan Samman Sammelan' here, while pressing for a nationwide "caste census".
Rahul Gandhi On No Dalit Winners In Miss India
Gandhi stated, "I have checked the list of Miss India, which did not have any Dalit, Adivasi (tribal) or OBC women. Some will talk about cricket or Bollywood. No one will show the cobbler or plumber. Even top anchors in the media are not from the 90 per cent."
"They will say Modiji embraced someone and we have become superpower. How have we become superpower when 90 per cent people has no participation?" he asked, attacking the mainstream media of the country.
"We want to now how many in institutions, corporates, Bollywood, Miss India are from the 90 per cent. I am only saying that 90 per cent did not have 'bhagidari' and this should be checked," he said.
Rahul Gandhi On Need For Caste Census
Asserting that before ensuring the participation of various sections of the society, there is a need to ascertain their numbers, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said, "For the Congress, the caste census is the foundation of policy making. It is a tool for policy making. We cannot make policies in the reality of India without a caste census."
Gandhi said just like the Constitution, the "caste census" is a policy framework and a guide for the Congress.
"Just like our Constitution, which is a guide in a way and it is being attacked every day, a caste census, a socio-economic survey, an institutional survey will be our second guide," he said.
"We want the data. How many Dalits, OBC (Other Backward Classes), tribals, women, minorities, general caste people are there. We are trying to protect the Constitution through this demand for a caste census," he added.
Gandhi said the Constitution is not for the 10 per cent of the country's population, it is for all the citizens.
