'Not just Bal Budhhi ...': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi's 'no dalit, adivasi in Miss India' comment

Gandhi’s call for a caste census and his comments have sparked a heated debate, with BJP leaders accusing him of attempting to divide the country along caste lines.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have slammed Leader of Opposition and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's recent remarks regarding the lack of Dalit, tribal, and OBC representation among former Miss India winners. Gandhi made the comments during the ‘Samvidhan Samman Sammelan’ event while advocating for a nationwide “caste census.”

BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari condemned Gandhi's remarks as “divisive” and “full of falsehood.” He highlighted a video showing Miss Riya Ekka, a Dalit woman from Chhattisgarh, who won the Miss India title two years ago, countering Gandhi's claims.

BJP leader Amit Malviya took to microblogging site X to challenge Gandhi's statements, questioning the presence of SC, ST, or OBC community members in historical Miss India photos. He criticised Gandhi’s approach as “balak buddhi” (childish intelligence) and labeled it a “fraud.”

"Can you see even one person from SC, ST or OBC community? For Congress, appealing for social harmony or constitution is just an exercise to garner votes. For decades, OBC community was deprived, they were called stupid, Dalits were tortured, tribal community was neglected and Muslims were used as vote bank. Politics of childish intelligence is a fraud," Malviya wrote in Hindi on X.

SC, ST OBC ? OBC , , , https://t.co/sfEcEWtULd
Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 25, 2024

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju added to the critique, suggesting Gandhi's demand for reservations in Miss India competitions, films, and sports was misplaced.

In a series of posts, Rijiju wrote on X, “It is not only an issue of ‘Bal Budhi,’ but also those who support him are equally responsible....Rahul Gandhi Ji, Governments don't select Miss India, Govts don't select athletes for Olympics, and Govts do not choose actors for Films!"

Rahul Gandhi Ji, Governments don't select Miss India, Govts don't select athletes for Olympics, and Govts do not choose actors for Films! https://t.co/hQPkM6njc9 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 25, 2024

Gandhi had criticised the Miss India winners' list for lacking representation from marginalised communities and accused the media of failing to highlight the contributions of the “90 percent” of the population not prominently featured in mainstream platforms. He questioned how India could be considered a superpower when a significant portion of the population remains underrepresented.

Gandhi’s call for a caste census and his comments have sparked a heated debate, with BJP leaders accusing him of attempting to divide the country along caste lines.