Nagpur: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said that the party would conduct caste-based census as suggested by MP Rahul Gandhi, when its government assumes power at the Centre after next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
Speaking to the media after his arrival at the Nagpur airport for attending the wedding ceremony of former MP Avinash Pande’s son, Kharge denied the BJP’s accusations that the grand old party was indulging in appeasement politics in the poll-bound states.
Gold Rate
08 April 2025
Many top Congress leaders including former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijay Singh, former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan, senior leader Balasaheb Thorat and others attended the marriage ceremony.
“It is the BJP under Home Minister Amit Shah that started appeasement politics. The Congress always followed the path of secularism. We are the ones who organized Bharat Jodo Yatra to unite the people of this country. The BJP is indulging in politics of polarisation,” he said.
On BJP lodging complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “panauti” and claiming that Modi got his caste ‘Ghanchi Teli’ included in the Teli community when he was Gujarat Chief Minister, Kharge backed the party MP.
“We have received the notice from ECI, and we will file a proper reply. The criticism didn’t warrant a complaint. The BJP is unnecessarily creating a fuss due to the upcoming elections,” he said. Rahul Gandhi made the comments while addressing a public rally in poll-bound Rajasthan’s Barmer.
On PM Modi accusing the Congress government in Rajasthan of corruption, Kharge said that he had addressed the issue during his election campaign. “BJP should give the proof of the corruption. They are making false claims. BJP is threatening the opposition party candidates by misusing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), CBI and Central Vigilance Commission (CVC). This is unacceptable in democracy,” Kharge said.
