Bihar – Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has intensified his demand for a Rahul Gandhi caste census while making controversial statements about representation in India’s major institutions, including the armed forces. Speaking at a rally in Bihar’s Kutumba on November 4, the last day of campaigning for the first phase of the assembly election scheduled for November 6, the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition claimed that communities considered upper castes have “total control” over corporates, bureaucracy, judiciary, and even the military.
Gandhi’s Claims About Institutional Control
During his speech advocating for the Rahul Gandhi caste census, the Congress leader asserted that Dalits, backward classes, and minorities, who he said form 90% of India’s population, are not adequately represented in key institutions. “Take out the list of the 500 biggest companies, and search for Dalits, Extremely Backward Classes, Mahadalits, minorities, Adivasis in them. You will not find anyone. You won’t find a single one. All of them come from the 10% population,” he stated, referring apparently to the dominant castes of “savarnas.”
Gandhi continued his argument by claiming that bank wealth, jobs, and positions in the bureaucracy predominantly go to this 10% population. In his most controversial statement supporting the Rahul Gandhi caste census demand, he extended this assertion to the judiciary and armed forces. “Look at the judiciary. They get everything there too. They have control over the army,” he said, speaking in Hindi. “And the 90% population — you will not find them anywhere.”
The Context of Kutumba Rally
The Congress leader was speaking in Kutumba, a segment reserved for the Scheduled Castes where Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram is the Mahagathbandhan candidate. This marks perhaps the first time Gandhi has explicitly linked the army to his argument for the Rahul Gandhi caste census. A video of the rally is available on his social media handle, with his speech beginning at the 12-minute mark.
Gandhi’s political pitch over the past few years has consistently focused on “social justice” and “anti-caste” themes, particularly in Bihar where the Congress’s bigger partner in the Mahagathbandhan, the RJD, has traditionally been a party of the backward classes, Yadavs in particular, and Muslims.
BJP’s Strong Response to Army Reference
The reference to the armed forces in the context of the Rahul Gandhi caste census demand triggered immediate and fierce backlash from BJP leaders. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari posted on social media: “Rahul Gandhi now wants to divide even our Armed Forces on caste lines! The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force stand for Nation First, not caste, creed or class. Rahul Gandhi hates our brave armed forces! Rahul Gandhi is Anti – Indian Army!”
Andhra Pradesh minister Satya Kumar Yadav criticized Gandhi’s rhetoric as hitting “a new low.” He wrote: “By dragging the Indian Army into his casteist tirade, he has insulted one of the world’s most professional and apolitical forces, where soldiers serve not by caste, but by the tricolour.”
Mumbai BJP spokesperson Suresh Nakhua added that in his opposition to Prime Minister Modi, Gandhi “has already crossed the line of hating India.”
Data Supporting the Rahul Gandhi Caste Census Argument
While advocating for the Rahul Gandhi caste census, Gandhi has been citing surveys and data to make his point about backward classes being deprived of representation due to caste discrimination. Recent nationwide caste data is not available as the next census will count that, but Bihar conducted a caste survey in 2023 that provides relevant insights.
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The Bihar survey put the ratio of so-called upper castes or unreserved category at just over 15%. The survey revealed that Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs), for whom the RJD and Congress-led Mahagathbandhan has made specific promises, are the largest caste or community group in Bihar at 36%, followed by Other Backward Classes at 27%, Scheduled Castes at just short of 20%, and tribals at a little under 2%. In terms of religion, just under 18% of the population is Muslim, and about 82% Hindu.
Representation in Armed Forces and Judiciary
No official breakup of caste representation is available for the armed forces, though they have traditionally had regiments named after communities. The armed forces do not make official data available on such counts, making the Rahul Gandhi caste census demand particularly relevant for those seeking transparency in representation.
Regarding the judiciary, data shared by the government in Parliament reveals concerning patterns that support the Rahul Gandhi caste census argument. Only one in 20 judges appointed to different high courts between 2018 and 2022 were from minority communities. Only 4% belonged to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, and around 11% were from Other Backward Classes, according to the law ministry’s reply to a parliamentary question.
The ministry noted that there is no reservation in appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and High Courts, stating that “categorywise data pertaining to representation of any caste or class of persons… is not centrally available.” However, since 2018, judges have been required to provide details regarding their social background. The ministry underlined that while the responsibility for initiating proposals for judicial appointments vests with the Chief Justice of India and Chief Justices of respective High Courts, “the government is committed to enhancing social diversity in judiciary.”
The Political Stakes
Gandhi’s push for the Rahul Gandhi caste census represents a central pillar of his political strategy, particularly in Bihar where caste identities play a crucial role in electoral politics. His assertion that such data is crucial for equal representation and constitutional rights resonates with large sections of the backward classes and marginalized communities. However, his inclusion of the armed forces in this argument has opened a new front of political controversy, with opponents accusing him of attempting to divide the military along caste lines.
