On Friday (5th April), the Congress party stirred the hornet’s nest for trying to divide the country along caste lines in its manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The grand-old party has vowed to conduct a pan-India caste census and determine the socio-economic conditions of sub-castes as well. It has also promised to include fishing communities in the caste census.
At a time when the BJP is talking about taking the country forward as a nation, the Congress is eyeing to reduce the citizens to their caste identities alone.
Page 6 of the manifesto says, “Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economicand Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action.”
The grand-old party has also announced to increase the cap on reservations from the existing 50%, as mandated by the Supreme Court of India. It also promised to give more public works contracts to those belonging to the SC/ ST community.
Congress also assured enactment of a legislation that will introduce reservations for SC/ ST and OBCs in private educational institutions.
While taking a cue from US politics, the grand-old party even vowed to establish ‘Diversity Commission’ to promote diversity in education, and public and private employment.
However, nothing comes close to its sinister agenda of enacting the Rohith Vemula Act. Page 7 of the Congress manifesto reads, “We will enact the Rohith Vemula Act to address discrimination faced by students belonging to the backward and oppressed communities in educational institutions.”
It is interesting to note that the Congress party has been politicising the death of Rohith Vemula, a former PhD student at the University of Hyderabad, since 2016.
The left-liberal ecosystem also threw its weight behind this particular case, calling his suicide a consequence of ‘caste discrimination’.
Later, it came to light that Vemula was not a Dalit as claimed by Congress and the left-liberal ecosystem on social media. It was also unearthed that his untimely death had nothing to do with caste and that he was frustrated with ‘worldly affairs.’
The Andhra Pradesh government had also decided to cancel the ‘SC certificate’, which was fraudulently obtained by Rohith Vemula and his mother.
Despite being well aware of the findings in the case, the Congress party has decided to keep the pot boiling and drag Vemula’s suicide into its manifesto for the 2024 elections.
Congress resorts to Muslim appeasement
The Congress party also announced several schemes in its election manifesto to appease the Muslim community ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The grand-old party has vowed to send Muslim students abroad and increase their scholarships.
Interestingly, Congress has hinted at repealing the triple talaq act, allowing personal laws to supersede uniformity and entertain the wearing of non-essential religious clothing in educational institutes under the garb of the Right to Freedom of Religion.
All of these happen to be the talking points of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which has previously opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand.
The Congress promised to appoint more judges, belonging to the Muslim community, to the High Courts and the Supreme Court. It has assured to strengthen the ‘autonomy’ of the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC.
Congress has also assured to provide collateral-free education loans up to 7.5 lakhs. The grand-old party has also suggested implementing the draconian Communal Violence Bill, which is aimed at disproportionately targeting the Hindu community.
