‘Bal buddhi’: Kiren Rijiju's slams Rahul Gandhi for 'no Dalit, tribal, OBC in Miss India list' comment

Union minister Kiren Rijiju criticised Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Congress party, on Sunday for his comments regarding the lack of representation of women from Dalit, tribal, and other backward class communities in the "Miss India pageant list."

"Now, he wants reservations at Miss India competitions, films, and sports! It is not only issue of "Bal Budhi", but people who cheer him are - equally responsible too!" Rijiu wrote on X in a swipe at the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

Gandhi was also charged by the Union Minister of inciting national divisions by his repeated comments about the caste census.

August 25, 2024

“Rahul Gandhi Ji can't divide our country. PM Narendra Modi ji made it clear that the Supreme Court won't be allowed to alter reservations in IAS, IPS, IFS, all top services recruitment. But he can't see 1st Tribal President, OBC PM, Record Numbers of SC/ST Cabinet Ministers!” he wrote further.

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday renewed his call for a nationwide caste census and pointed out the lack of representation of women from Dalit, Tribal, or Other Backward Classes communities in the "Miss India pageant list."

Addressing a gathering at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Gandhi said, "I checked the list of Miss India to see if there would be any Dalit or tribal woman in it, but there was no women from Dalit, tribal or OBC."

He criticised the media for being unconcerned about farmers and labourers and said, "Still the media talks about dance, music, cricket, Bollywood but does not talk about farmers and labourers."

He further asserted that when Congress will form government it will conduct a caste census and remove the 50 per cent cap on the reservation.

"We will conduct a caste census and the 50 per cent cap on the reservation which I don't accept will be removed...First, we should have the data before us regarding the participation of different castes in various institutions...Talks of reservation are always held but they never get a chance," he said. 

Taking a dig at Narendra Modi-led Central government over its recent lateral entry advertisement saying, "Lateral entry ho jati hai, main aapko guarantee de raha hun lateral entry mein 90 per cent wala aapko koi nahi milega (I am guaranteeing you that you will not find anyone with from the 90 per cent in lateral entry) ," he said. 

(With inputs from ANI)