Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said there was nothing wrong in asking the caste of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he keeps doing the same and tries to "divide the country" on caste lines.
Responding to protests by opposition parties in the Lok Sabha over the remarks of BJP MP Anurag Thakur in the House on Tuesday that those whose caste is not known are talking about a caste census, the parliamentary affairs minister said Congress leaders keep asking people's caste day in and day out.
"By asking the caste of people, the Congress has conspired to divide the country, and when there was talk about Rahul Gandhi's caste, there was so much protest," he said.
Talking to reporters in the Parliament complex, Mr. Rijiju said, "The Congress talks of caste day in and day out. When he (Rahul Gandhi) meets mediapersons, he asks their caste, he asks the caste of armed forces personnel, he asks people's caste during the Bharat Jodo Yatra."
"They can ask about the caste of the people and no one can ask about his caste. What is this? (Samajwadi Party president) Akhilesh Yadav also supported Rahul Gandhi. Are they above the country and Parliament," the minister wondered.
He dubbed it a conspiracy to weaken the country and democracy and economy.
"The Congress wants to spread violence from the streets to Parliament," he alleged. He asserted that the BJP will not allow the Congress to succeed in its efforts to divide people.
Responding to another question, Mr. Rijiju said the prime minister belongs to the OBC community and has been working for the upliftment of all communities. "Can't they see? They have always opposed reservation for OBCs, SCs and STs," he said.
He said while PM Modi has worked for OBCs, former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi opposed such reservations.
Union minister Ramdas Athawale said while the opposition has been demanding a caste census, there was no harm in asking for Rahul Gandhi's caste.
He said, "You were in power for 70 years. Why did you not carry out a caste census?"
