What Congress, Allies Say To Rahul Gandhis "Lost Dalits' Confidence" Remark

Rahul Gandhi's comment that the Congress has lost the confidence of Dalits because it did not protect the interests of the Dalits and backwards the way it should have in the 1990s, has been accepted by the young generation of the party. 

"Such an admission is a sign of his large heartedness," said party MP Tanuj Punia. 

"There must be something in it if Rahul Ji said it. There have been shortcomings which must be addressed now," said party MP Kumari Selja. 

Yesterday, addressing a programme organised by Dalit influencers, Mr Gandhi said merely getting political representation for the Dalits and backwards would not help solve their problems unless they got "bhagidari" in institutions and wealth.

He also said that once the "original base" of the Congress party is back, the BJP and the RSS would have to run away. It will happen soon, he added.

The admission, though, did not move the Congress's INDIA allies much. 

"If the Congress had not lost their (Dalits' and backward castes') confidence, they would not be in this condition today," said Samajwadi Party's Ramgopal Yadav. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal's Manoj Jha said what Mr Gandhi said was a "fact".

"We were students then. But the Congress of that time -- we do not know what difficulties they were facing. But the honesty with which he admitted to it - i think he is clear what the next step should be, what the plan of action is. Refusing to call it a damage control measure, he said it was much more than that," he added. 

Asked about the caste census, a key demand of the Opposition including the Congress, he said it should happen. 

If "85 per cent of the population want something, they would make themselves heard. If people do not hear them, they will do something explosive," he added.