The Congress on Wednesday moved a Privilege Motion against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for endorsing BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s speech. PM Modi had shared a video of Thakur’s speech on X and said it is a “must-hear”. “This speech by my young and energetic colleague, Shri @ianuragthakur is a must-hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance,” he said.
A day after Thakur’s speech on the Union budget, there was a ruckus in Parliament over his remarks about Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi. Caste politics peaked in the Lok Sabha as Congress MPs shouted slogans of ‘We Want Caste Census’, reaffirming its stand on conducting the survey that can provide a caste-wise tabulation of India’s population.
Livid over Thakur’s apparent questioning of Gandhi’s caste, the Congress called his speech a “highly abusive” and “unconstitutional tirade”. The party further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has encouraged a “serious breach of parliamentary privilege” by sharing the speech on his social media.
Slamming the BJP, the Congress said the Gandhi family’s caste is martyrdom but the BJP-RSS will never understand that. President Mallikarjun Kharge said his party is ready to listen to any casteist abuse, but it is determined to get a caste census done.
“Yes, I am an Indian and a Dalit, but I don’t know how many we are. Yes, I am a tribal, but I don’t know how many we are. Yes, I am an OBC, but I don’t know how many we are. Today, we all need to assess how much our participation is in the progress of this country. The BJP-RSS people are conspiring to hide this from us so that they can keep us backwards and take over our rights by snatching reservation through conspiracies,” Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
On Tuesday (July 30), Thakur sparked an ugly spat between the opposition and treasury benches when he questioned the Congress stand on caste census. He made certain remarks on Gandhi’s caste that triggered the uproar and had Congress MPs trooping into the Well of the Lok Sabha but the LoP later said he will not seek any apology from the former Union minister.
Here are the latest updates:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed condolence on the loss of lives in the tragic landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad and slammed the opposition for doing politics over the issue. While speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Shah claimed that the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government was warned by the Centre a week before the landslides hit the hilly district, adding that the Centre had dispatched nine NDRF teams to Kerala after heavy rainfall was predicted for the southern state.
In Lok Sabha, Shah urged all the state governments to take preventive measures following the Centre’s warning and the country and his government stand in solidarity with Kerala.
“I have only one request that all State governments should take preventive action following early warnings issued to them. I want to assure the people of Kerala that the Govt of India is standing like a rock with the state government and we will spare no effort for relief and rehabilitation,” he said.
Speaking on Wayanad Landslides, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said, “It is a huge tragedy in Wayanad and the military is doing a good job there. I think it is important that we support the people of Wayanad and I request the government to help the people of Wayanad.”
“It is the second time this tragedy has taken place, this took place 5 years ago as well. It is clear that this area has an ecological issue, so this should be looked into and whatever hi-tech solution can be brought forward, will be good,” he added.
An emotional LoP in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Chair to expunge certain remarks made by BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari in the House regarding his political journey. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said he would look into the remarks made by Tiwari on Tuesday in the House and assured that any word that has hurt the Congress president will not remain in the record.
Soon after laying the listed paper in the House, the Congress leader pointed out that Tiwari referred to his political journey and said “his (Kharge’s) entire family” was in politics. “He commented ‘parivarvaad’. I request that this should be expunged (from the records),” Kharge said.
The LoP further said he was a first-generation politician and gave details of his political journey that began after he joined the Congress. At one point he said his father died at the age of 85. To this, Dhankhar wished him an even longer life than his father.
“I don’t wish to live for long in this environment,” Kharge quipped. Stating that he was in the Chair when Tiwari made the remarks, Dhankar said he did not think that the BJP leader meant anything wrong for Kharge and assured him that he would minutely examine the records.
After PM Narendra Modi’s public endorsement of BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s speech, the BJP said it did not see anything wrong in what he said. “Jinki apne jaat ka pataa nahin, woh ganana ki baat karte hain (Those who don’t know their caste, are talking about conducting a caste census)”, Thakur said during his speech in the Lok Sabha, following which there was an uproar from the opposition saying he made apparent references to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s caste.
The BJP, however, said Thakur, who attacked Gandhi throughout his speech, did not take any names. “Are they (opposition) above Parliament? Why can’t their caste be asked? They want to go around asking everyone’s caste but don’t want their caste to be asked,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
He added: “I condemn what Congress has done, they keep talking about caste all the time… they ask the caste of media people and army personnel… Congress has hatched a conspiracy to divide the country based on caste… they want to weaken democracy and country’s economy, they want to spread anarchy and violence…”
“He did not ask the caste. Those who don’t know caste are speaking about the Caste Census. He did not name anyone, so why are you taking it upon yourself? Anurag Thakur clarified it on the floor of the House. They need an excuse. The intention is to divert the issue. From Pandit Nehru to Indira Gandhi, to Rajiv Gandhi – everybody has opposed reservation for OBC…” said Union minister Pralhad Joshi.
The Congress and other INDIA bloc allies slammed BJP MP Anurag Thakur for his speech in the Lok Sabha in which he questioned LoP Rahul Gandhi’s caste. Congress leader Manickam Tagore, who moved an adjournment notice on the caste census in the Lok Sabha said despite the vicious attack, Gandhi chose to be “genuine and decent”.
“This shows the arrogance of the BJP. We all know that Anurag Thakur always thinks differently. They have a hierarchical mindset. Rahul Gandhi stands with Dalits, OBCs, and minorities. Rahul Gandhi stands for everybody who is oppressed, and voiceless. Rahul Gandhi’s reply was very gentle, genuine and decent. He replied that you may insult in whatever terms you want in the House but I will stand for the cause of social justice and we will work for social justice and caste census. As a follow-up, I have moved an adjournment motion notice in Parliament because the Census has been delayed…” Tagore said.
“This is the nature of Thakur ji. You can understand his mindset. If he can speak by stooping to such a level…it means you have a weak foundation,” said Congress MP Renuka Chowdhary.
“…How Anurag Thakur is conducting himself is not civil. Is it right to ask someone’s caste?… Manas Ki Jaat Sabhe Eke Pehchan Bo, he should learn from it. He sits there and abuses to appease his masters, it is not right. It is Parliament. It is the job of the Opposition to raise issues, and that of the Ruling side to answer them and not to abuse,” said Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla, adding that “we will make all efforts to get it passed (in the Parliament).”
Congress MP Karti P Chidambaram said Thakur’s remarks were “distasteful”. “…in this day and age, if somebody needs to make a query about something as primitive as that. I have always maintained that this kind of crude behaviour has no place in our public discourse…” he said.
“Anurag Thakur has been using unparliamentary words continuously to tackle Rahul Gandhi. But Rahul Gandhi himself has given views on this issue. He is continuing his fight, he will fight till the very end,” said Congress MP Hibi Eden.
“We protested inside Parliament against the insensitive and cruel remarks made by the BJP leaders inside the budget discussion yesterday concerning the caste census. We know that the caste census is a very emotional issue and many people in India from SC ST, and OBC want it but their demand was mocked by the BJP yesterday. They were insulted by the BJP inside the Parliament and it is unfortunate that later in the evening the prime minister shared and praised the speech which insulted the Dalit, the OBC and the Adivasi. We are here fighting for their right, fighting for the caste census and that is why we protested…” said Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi.
Leaders from the DMK and Shiv Sena (UBT) also responded to the remarks and politics over the caste census. Kanimozhi said if this is the BJP’s mindset, she is worried about the future of the youth. She said she is even more concerned about the fact that PM Narendra Modi has posted the speech on social media.
“It is unfortunate that a senior leader, who has also been a minister, thinks that caste is important to any human being, let alone the LoP. This is the example they are going to set for the youth of this country. I am worried about the future of the young people of this country. It is even more saddening that the PM has retweeted that speech and said that everyone should listen to that speech. Is this what they are trying to tell the nation that caste is important?” she asked.
“…The country needs us to rise above religion and caste and serve the nation, serve Bharat Mata. Our caste is to serve the nation and religion is to take Bharat Mata ahead. These are people who want to mould the country in a way that would be politically convenient for them…What he said is condemnable, I hope his leaders make him apologise,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi.
The Lok Sabha was adjourned till noon after Congress MPs entered the Well in the Lok Sabha, shouting slogans of ‘We Want Caste Census’, creating a ruckus as MPs from the treasury benches spoke in Parliament. They protested against BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s apparent reference to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s caste during a discussion on the Union Budget on Tuesday (July 30).
Speaker Om Birla told the protesting members that their approach was wrong. The opposition members also demanded a caste census. Earlier, when Rijiju rose to speak, Congress deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi and some of his colleagues tore some papers and hurled them towards the Well.
Congress, DMK, Samajwadi Party and Shiv Sena (UBT) members were also in the Well. With the protesting members not relenting, Birla adjourned the proceedings till noon.
With assembly polls in key states coming up, Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi said the “mahaul (public mood)” is in the party’s favour but there is a need to sustain the momentum and goodwill generated for it in the Lok Sabha elections. “We must not become complacent and overconfident…I dare say that if we perform well, reflecting the trend that we witnessed in the Lok Sabha elections, national politics will transform,” she said. Gandhi also accused the Modi government of not drawing the right lessons from “their significant decline” in the Lok Sabha elections and persisting with their policy of “dividing communities and spreading an atmosphere of fear and animosity”.
Noting that elections will be held in four states, she urged party leaders to sustain the momentum and goodwill that had been generated for the party in the Lok Sabha elections. “We must not become complacent and overconfident. The ‘mahaul’ does favour us, but we have to work unitedly with a sense of purpose. I dare say that if we perform well, reflecting the trend that we witnessed in the Lok Sabha elections, national politics will transform,” she added.
The Congress observed a moment of silence to pay homage to those killed in the Wayanad landslides and in the flooding of the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar area, during its parliamentary party meeting. Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, and former party chief Rahul Gandhi, among others, attended the general body meeting in the Central Hall of the Samvidhan Sadan. The Congress MPs observed a moment of silence at the start of the meeting to pay tributes to those who lost their lives in the Wayanad landslides and the death of three UPSC aspirants here.
The Congress alleged that PM Narendra Modi encouraged a “serious breach of parliamentary privilege” by sharing BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s speech on X. Congress general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh slammed Thakur for making an apparent reference to LoP Rahul Gandhi’s caste during a discussion on the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha. Modi praised Thakur’s speech and said it was a “must-hear”. Tagging Modi’s post on X, Ramesh said, “This speech that the non-biological Prime Minister calls a ‘must hear’ is a highly abusive and unconstitutional tirade — and by sharing it, he has encouraged a serious breach of Parliamentary privilege.”
He said Thakur brought parliamentary discourse to a new low by asking a fellow MP and the leader of the opposition about his caste identity. Upon protests from the opposition benches, the Chair, Jagadambika Pal, assured MPs that the comments will be expunged.
“In a departure from all parliamentary norms — expunged comments are edited out of videos uploaded online — Sansad TV has uploaded the unedited speech, and the non-biological Prime Minister has shared and praised it publicly. This is a new and shameful low in the annals of India’s parliamentary history. It reflects the BJP-RSS and Mr Modi’s deep-rooted casteism,” Ramesh alleged.
Gandhi has accused Thakur of insulting and abusing him during the debate but stressed that he will not seek any apology from the former Union minister. “Anurag Thakur insulted me and I don’t want any apology from him. Abuse or insult me as hard as you can but don’t forget we will pass the caste census in this Parliament for sure,” he said in the House.
Sharing Thakur’s speech on X on Tuesday, Modi said. “This speech by my young and energetic colleague Shri Anurag Thakur is a must-hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance.”
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