System Heavily Aligned Against Lower Castes, I Know It Inside Out: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Wednesday that the system is heavily aligned against the lower castes and that he knows the system from inside as his grandmother and father were prime minister and later he used to visit the PM's house when Manmohan Singh lived there.

He asserted that the country's 90 per cent population including the Dalits, OBCs, tribal communities and the minorities does not have representation in the country's narrative and power structure.

Mr Gandhi said his party aims to ensure the participation of the country's 90 per cent population in the country's progress.

Addressing an event in Panchkula this evening, Mr Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP, saying the saffron party's "end" is coming.

"Since the time I was born on June 19, 1970, I have been inside the system. I understand the system from inside. You cannot hide the system from me," he said.

Mr Gandhi claimed that as he has "come from inside the system", he knows how it runs, whom it favours, in what way it favours, whom it protects and whom it attacks.

"In the prime minister house, when my grandmother and later father were PM and later Dr Manmohan Singh, I used to go, so I know the system from inside. And I am saying the system is aligned against lower castes, in a major way (bhayankar tareeke sey) at every level," he said.

He said be it the corporate, media, bureaucracy, education, judiciary, military and elsewhere, there is no participation of these 90 per cent people. An argument of merit is built, he added.

"How it can be that 90 per cent do not have merit? It cannot be so. So, there must be something lacking in the system. I found it. I dug out all figures," he said.

"In the media, senior anchors, senior influencers, media owners, senior managers -- not even one is a Dalit, tribal or OBC. I did not find even one," he claimed.

Holding a copy of the Constitution, Mr Gandhi said it is not just a book. "If you look at it minutely, it is a transfer of power document. It is a transfer of power process, not just a book.

"The transfer of power which started in 1947. If you see India's population, conduct a survey, then you will know nearly 90 per cent population is Dalit, tribals, OBC, minority. This is a fact and it cannot be contested," he stated.

He said it is written clearly in the Constitution that there should be equal treatment with every person. The Constitution is also document of equality, he added.

"My question is what is the participation of 90 per cent (population)? If you see India's narrative and power structure, be it the corporate structure or friends in the media, be it bureaucratic structure, there is no voice of this 90 per cent population," he said.

Rahul Gandhi claimed he has studied it and he is saying this on the basis that 90 per cent people are not in the narrative.

He said the issues of people like farmers, labourers, barbers and 'safai karamcharis' do not find mention in the media.

"Such a thing is going on as if these 90 per cent people do not exist," he said, adding that these 90 per cent people should get participation.

Mr Gandhi also raised the issue of the arrest of two chief ministers, including Hemant Soren.

"Two states elected them and one tribal CM was sent to jail and he has not come out yet," he said.

The national media does not speak about Mr Soren, he alleged.

Mr Gandhi said there are only two to three avenues for the 90 per cent population. There used to be public sector earlier but the BJP finished it. Then was the railways which is also facing the same fate. Now they brought Agniveer scheme in the Army.

Rahul Gandhi said the BJP and the RSS are thinking that they have won this battle. "But they do not realise that they are going to lose it," he said.

Batting for caste census, he said through it, the exact number of OBCs, tribals, Dalits and minorities will be known, he stated.

"All our institutions, be it the judiciary or media, we have to conduct a survey that how much power the 90 per cent (population) has in these institutions, which position they hold and how many of them are there," he added.

"Economic financial survey (to know) who holds how much of the country's resources. How much share the OBC, Dalit, minority, tribals and the poor general caste have. When our government will come, these works will be my first priority," he said.

Automatically, the country will know what is the situation and how much true progress has taken place, he said.

"For progress, the most important thing is power-sharing and participation," he said, adding that an interesting time has started now.

"They are not understanding it. The BJP's end is coming. Our job is to frame a vision for 10-20 years for Bharat and the participation of 90 per cent (population) without hatred," he said.

Mr Gandhi said their plan is to include more and more people in the country's progress and its future.

He reached Panchkula in the evening after addressing two election rallies under Mahendragarh-Bhiwani and Sonipat Lok Sabha seats for the Congress candidates.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)