Khijri/Tundi/Mahagama (Jharkhand), Nov 15 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday criticised the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi for their promise to conduct a caste census, accusing them of using the issue as a "ploy to manipulate voters for political gain".
Speaking at a rally in Jharkhand’s Mahagama, Singh challenged the Congress to come up with a concrete plan for distributing reservation benefits among the numerous castes and sub-castes in the country.
"In 2011, a socio-economic caste census was conducted, which revealed the presence of around 46 lakh castes, sub-castes, and gotras. According to the Ministry of Social Welfare, there are about 1,200 Scheduled Castes (SC), over 750 Scheduled Tribes (ST), and around 2,500 Other Backward Classes (OBCs). How will the Congress manage the distribution of reservation quotas among all these groups?" Singh asked.
He further demanded that the Congress present a clear blueprint for implementing such a system.
Singh also took a swipe at Gandhi, saying, "He should answer how many castes reside in India. Politics should be about serving the people, not just forming a government."
He accused the Congress of engaging in "opportunistic politics", claiming that the party has "historically ruined alliances with regional partners such as the RJD in Bihar, JKNC in Jammu & Kashmir, and now it is the turn of DMK in Tamil Nadu".
"The Congress uses these alliances to attain power, but ultimately it harms its partners," he said.
On the subject of corruption, Singh alleged that the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD coalition in Jharkhand "engaged in widespread malpractices and irregularities", even going as far as "taking bribes for issuing death certificates".
He contrasted this with the BJP's record in the state, stating, "So far, 13 chief ministers have governed Jharkhand, but none of the three BJP CMs ever faced corruption charges or went to jail".
Singh expressed confidence in the BJP's prospects in the ongoing Jharkhand elections, predicting that the party would secure two-thirds of the 43 seats where polling was held in the first phase on November 13.
He mentioned that a three per cent increase in voter turnout was an indicator of strong support for the NDA government in the state, signalling a stable and corruption-free future under the BJP-led coalition regime.
Later, addressing rallies at Khijri in Ranchi and Tundi in Dhanbad, the defence minister asserted that credibility is the biggest asset of any political outfit and claimed that the BJP has never compromised with it, unlike other parties which make "false promises to lure voters for political gains".
Singh also urged people to vote for the BJP and help the saffron camp form an NDA government for the next two consecutive terms so that Jharkhand can be brought into the category of developed states.
“Credibility is the biggest asset of any political outfit and the BJP never compromises with it. It has fulfilled all promises made since the Jan Sangh era, unlike other political parties which make false promises, deceive masses just to retain power,” the defence minister said.
India is "developing fast" but the progress of Jharkhand has been "halted in the current JMM-led coalition regime", he claimed.
Singh also asserted that a change in the existing system is a must to "check corruption in Jharkhand".
The BJP leader exuded confidence that the NDA would form a government in the state with an "absolute majority".
He also alleged that Rahul Gandhi is promising a caste-based census to "fool masses to garner votes".
Singh sought to know how the Congress would distribute quota among people belonging to several castes.
He also attacked the JMM-led coalition over Champai Soren resigning as the CM of Jharkhand.
"There was no problem if Champai Soren was allowed to continue as CM, but they wanted to loot Jharkhand," Singh claimed.