PM Modi says Congress’ pitch for caste census is an ‘Urban Naxal’ thought

PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack against the Congress party’s election manifesto, framing its proposals for a socio-economic survey and caste census as a threat to the right to personal property and an echo of Maoist ideology.

In an exclusive interview with News18 Network, PM Modi spoke at length about Congress’s manifesto, which includes the promise of a caste census.

The Prime Minister has been interviewed by News18 Group Editor-in-Chief Rahul Joshi, News18 Kannada Editor, Hariprasad, and News18 Lokmat Anchor Vilas Bade. Modi argued that the Congress if voted to power in the ongoing general elections, would conduct surveys to redistribute wealth, a concept he likened to “raiding every household”.

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The Prime Minister’s comments follow Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi advocating the need for a caste census to determine how many Dalits, adivasis, and poor general castes are there and their participation in various sectors. Modi interpreted the suggestion of conducting surveys as an intrusion into people’s personal lives, suggesting that “if any woman has hidden gold in utensils, even finding that and then redistributing it”, reflecting Maoist influence in Congress policies.

This is an entirely ‘Urban Naxal’ thought, Modi added. The term “Urban Naxal” refers to alleged Maoist sympathisers living in cities, a label Modi uses to tag those opposed to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology. Modi also criticised the Congress for its governance, questioning the necessity of such measures after their decades-long hold on power. “People who consider themselves political experts should ask such people that if the conditions you describe are real, then you have been in power for 50-60 years. You gave birth to this. Why did you let it come to this?” he asked.

“It then becomes my responsibility to awaken the country to the fact that they are planning to loot you. The next part is Dr Manmohan Singh said clearly who has the first right to the country’s resources. They have clearly stated their intentions,” added PM Modi.

He further said that Congress’s manifesto has “the imprint of the Muslim League”.

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“See their manifesto for the 2024 elections. It has the imprint of the Muslim League. The way they are flouting the Constitution and the way they are insulting Ambedkar. There is a threat to reservation for SCs and STs. Should I not inform the people of the country about this? I believe that it is the responsibility of all the learned people, who are rich in knowledge, who are unbiased, to educate this country, to tell it the right things,” said PM Modi in the interview that will be aired on News18 Network on April 29 at 9 pm.

“When the Constitution of India was made, no RSS or BJP people were present. Great men like Pandit Nehru and Babasaheb Ambedkar were present there who decided, after long contemplation, that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion in a country like India,” he further said.