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Launching a sharp attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the BJP has changed the name of the tribals as the party does not want to give them their rights.
The remark by Gandhi was made while addressing a public gathering during the party's 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' in Gujarat's Bharuch. "The population of the tribals in the country stands at 8%; the OBC and backward class constitute 50% of the population; the Dalits account for 15%; there are 15% of the minorities; and the poor belonging to the general class constitute 5%," Gandhi said. "Tribal means the first owners of the land in India. If the tribals were the first owners of India, then they should get the first participation...Forest dweller means the one who lives in the forest. The BJP calls you a forest dweller, not tribal. They changed your name because they don't want to give you rights," he added. Rahul Gandhi further said, "Now, check out the list of the CEOs running the top 200 companies in India; you won't find the single name of a tribal person. Similar is the situation with media companies too. Where is your participation? In bureaucracy, there are 90 officers who hold the decision-making power, out of whom, there is only one tribal person." Taking a dig at the BJP, the Congress leader alleged that the former is "afraid" to conduct the caste census. "The BJP is afraid of the caste census. It will reveal the population of general, backward, SC and ST classes," he said. The opposition parties of the INDIA bloc have been demanding a nationwide caste census, with the slogan 'Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq'. They have claimed that it would be conducive to policy-making for people belonging to different castes and communities, on the basis of their population. However, the ruling BJP has said that it would lead to a division in society. Meanwhile, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered the Chhota Udepur district on its third day in Gujarat. The Congress has also released its first list, comprising 39 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls. However, candidates for Gujarat did not appear in the first list. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress will contest the Lok Sabha polls together in Delhi, Gujarat, Goa, Haryana, and Chandigarh. In Gujarat, the Congress will contest 24 of the 26 Lok Sabha seats, leaving the remaining 2--Bharuch and Bhavnagar--for the AAP. The Lok Sabha polls are slated to be held in April-May this year. (ANI)
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