New Delhi: BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Thursday criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that Congress' ancestors used to refer to backward classes as "Buddhu" (fool). Thakur asserted that Rahul Gandhi's sense of entitlement and privilege are evident from their historical attitudes toward Dalits and tribals.
"Some people's sense of entitlement got hurt because of the statement I made, the result was that the entire ecosystem started yelling. They feel that only they can ask questions because they are privileged. They are those whose ancestors used to call backward class people 'Buddhu'... their ancestors used to make excuses for not providing equality to Dalits and tribals. They are the same people who used to think about how Dalits and OBCs could wear suit pants in front of them and how can one write the Constitution. I am not saying 'Budhu'," Thakur told the media.
He further criticized Congress by referencing former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, asserting that Gandhi used the term 'Buddhu' for Dalits and tribals. "The word 'Buddhu' was used by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Shrimaan Rahul Gandhi ji... poori Congress jamaat padh le ki Rajiv Gandhi ji ne kaha tha 'Aarakshan ke naam pr Buddhuon ko badhava nhi denge'. This was published in a newspaper on March 3, 1985.... Agar baat nikli hai toh dur talak jaigi. The son of former Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi will tell the nation that Dalits, OBC was 'Budhu' in front of him (Rajiv Gandhi). Will they pass the resolution against his statement? Jo log aaj tak legacy ki malai khate aa rahe hai, aaj unke muh mein sawal ki khatai padh gai... When the question was asked from Jawaharlal Nehru why reservation is not been given to Dalits and Tribals he made excuses that reservation dene se unke man mein heen bhawna badh jayegi... That's why we are not giving them reservation," he added.
Thakur claimed that there is widespread doubt about Rahul Gandhi's intentions among OBC, SC, Dalit, and tribal communities due to his family's legacy of opposing reservation. "People doubt Rahul Gandhi because he is from a family that opposed reservation," he said.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi accused BJP MP Anurag Thakur of "abusing and insulting" him during the Lok Sabha discussion on the Union Budget. Thakur had engaged in a heated exchange with Gandhi, criticizing those who question the caste census while claiming their own caste is unknown. "Those whose caste is not known, talk about the caste-census. I want to remind the Speaker that in this House itself, a former prime minister RG-1 (Rajiv Gandhi) had opposed reservation for OBCs," the BJP MP said.
In response, Rahul Gandhi said, "Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit and the backward, is abused. I will accept these abuses willingly... Anurag Thakur has abused me and insulted me, but I do not want any apology."
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav intervened, questioning Thakur on how one could inquire about a person's caste. "How can you ask about caste?" Yadav asked Thakur in the Lower House.
The Congress party has promised to pass a constitutional amendment to raise the Supreme Court-mandated 50 percent cap on reservations for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC), as per its poll manifesto. The party also promised to conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions.
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