Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra today demanded a caste census to ensure ‘justice’ with OBCs, SCs, and STs and criticised the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh, saying 250 scams have taken place during the party's 18-year rule.
Addressing a poll rally in the tribal dominated Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, Priyanka Gandhi said that recently the Bihar government has conducted a caste census and it has been found that 84 per cent of the population there belong to OBC (Other Backward Class), SC (Scheduled Caste) and ST (Scheduled Tribe) category, but their number in jobs is very low. A caste census should be conducted in the country to know their exact number and do justice to them. She said the Congress has demanded caste census to provide justice to the people from backward and poor communities. Priyanka Gandhi also hit out at BJP, saying the BJP has done nothing for the people during its 18-year rule in the state and the party remembers them only by announcing several schemes for the people during elections. She said the Modi-led central government was running away from the ‘caste census’ and also urged people to change the corrupt BJP government & bring the Congress into power, which works for the poor people.
Priyanka Gandhi also announced some ‘guarantees’, including implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), gas cylinder for Rs 500, loan waiver scheme, free electricity to farmers for running up to 5 HP motors for agriculture etc, if the party came to power in Madhya Pradesh. Gandhi also declared that her party, if voted to power in MP, not only will free education be provided to students from class 1 to class 12, but students from classes 1 to 8 will be given Rs 500, Rs 1,000 for children from class 8 to 10 and Rs 1,500 per month for class 11 and 12 children.