Rahul Gandhi backs caste census to make transparent 'reality of how power is shared in India'

Washington: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a three-day visit to the US, has said that the participation of lower castes, tribals and minorities in governance, institutions and media "is lacking" and the caste census would "make transparent the reality of how power is shared in India".

The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha made the remarks during an interaction with media at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Tuesday.

About his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' and the 'Nyay Yatra', the Congress MP said, "We were forced politically to take out the Yatra because all the instruments that normally work in a democracy, they just were not working... the media was not working, the courts were not working, nothing was working so we said, okay, let's go direct. We went and it worked... It worked beautifully."

"That was at the political level and my work level but as an individual, at the private level, I always wanted to do it. I always wanted to do it... I always had this idea that I must, at some point in my life, walk across my country and see what it's about..." he added.

Rahul Gandhi said that he thinks politics in India "changed very dramatically" in 2014. "We entered a phase of politics we haven't seen in India before. Aggressive, attacking the foundations of our democratic structures... It's been a tough fight... And personally, it changed me."

"I wouldn't have ever imagined before 2014 that I would have laughed at the idea of walking from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. But, that was the only way left for the opposition in our country. Media was suppressed, institutions were controlled, agencies were attacking the opposition, and governments were overthrown. We found that literally the only way to go to the people of India. That certainly changed me," the Congress leader said.

He further said that there's an "ideological war" taking place in the country and the Opposition's INDIA bloc's vision is "fundamentally different" from the BJP's "centralising and monopolising agenda".

Terming caste a central and fundamental issue in India, Rahul Gandhi expressed his intentions to increase reservations beyond 50 per cent.

About the situation in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Congress leader said "We have an old relation with Bangladesh... I think there are concerns in India about extremist elements in Bangladesh and we share some of those concerns... However, I am confident that things will stabilize in Bangladesh and we will be able to have a relationship with the current government or any other government..."

Talking about the ongoing Gaza war, Rahul Gandhi condemned the October 7 (2023) attack by Hamas on Israel, but said he also thinks what Israel did and is doing -- "bombing innocent civilians, killing women and children" -- is "absolutely wrong" and should not be allowed to continue.