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Rahul Gandhi ‘can be second Ambedkar’: Congress Dalit leader Udit Raj’s appeal to OBCs gets ‘insult’ retort from BJP
Dalit leader and former MP Udit Raj appealed to OBCs to back Rahul Gandhi, saying it could prove to be a historic opportunity for the backward classes
Congress leader Udit Raj's assertion that Rahul Gandhi could be “the second Ambedkar” for OBCs has invited allegations from the BJP that he as insulted BR Ambedkar and the Dalit community.
A prominent Dalit leader and a former MP from Delhi, Udit Raj in a post on X on Saturday appealed to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to “think that history does not give opportunities for progress again and again”.
He urged them to “follow and support” Rahul Gandhi's recent assertions at a function at Delhi's Talkatora Stadium on Friday.
"If they (OBCs) do so, then Rahul Gandhi will prove to be the second Ambedkar for them," Udit Raj's post read. BR Ambedkar, apart from being a globally respected constitutionalist, is widely seen as a catalyst for positive change for the Dalit community into which he was born.
Also read | My mistake we couldn’t get caste census done earlier, says Rahul Gandhi
What was Udit Raj talking about?
Udit Raj, in his X post, was purportedly referring to Rahul Gandhi's commitment to a caste census, and his admission of not understanding OBC issues earlier. “I didn't protect the OBC community the way I should have,” Rahul Gandhi said at the function.
The OBCs are widely estimated to be the largest group in India, though caste data has not been collected or revealed since the 1931 census. Rahul Gandhi has been pushing for it in recent years, and the government has committed to counting castes in the Covid-delayed census now scheduled to begin next year.
Insulting Dalits and BR Ambedkar, says BJP
But the BJP took exception to Udit Raj's mention of Dalit icon and globally renowned constitutionalist Ambedkar.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said as per an NDTV report: “Insulting Dalits and BR Ambedkar has become the Congress' identity... Who insulted the ‘original’ Ambedkar? Who did not bestow the Bharat Ratna on him? Who did not let his Constitution be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir? Who spoke about Muslim reservation? Who said reservation is bad... Jawaharlal Nehru.”
He was further quoted as saying, “They want to become a second Ambedkar, not Nehru or Indira Gandhi? This means the Gandhi family is admitting Nehru and Indira Gandhi were on the wrong path.”
Rahul Gandhi in his Friday speech had claimed, “As far as the issues of tribals, Dalits, and women are concerned, I should get good marks there. I did good work.” He listed the Land Acquisition Bill, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Right to Food, and some others as “things I did well”.
“But one shortcoming remained in the Congress party and my work: I didn't protect the OBC community the way I should have,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
“The reason is that I did not deeply understand the OBC issues at that time. Ten to 15 years ago, I understood the difficulties faced by Dalits. Their issues are visible, they are easily understood, but the problems of OBCs remain hidden,” he said.
“If I had known about your issues and problems at that time, I would have conducted a caste-based census right then. That was my mistake, which I am going to correct,” he promised.
