‘Poverty Biggest Caste in India’: As Bihar Survey Makes Headlines, Modi Says Cong Trying to Divide Hindus – News18

Pitching ‘gareebi’ (poverty) as the biggest caste in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the Congress was trying to divide the Hindus in the name of the new bogey of caste census.

Speaking in Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh, the PM termed the caste census as a “new conspiracy” by the Congress to divide the people and sow seeds of rivalry between them. “For me, the poor is the biggest caste in the country. If the poor is empowered, the country will be benefitted in totality. The poor – be it a Dalit, Adivasi or OBC or general category – we have to cater to them and change their life. The first right on our resources is of the poor,” the PM has said.

News18 had earlier quoted BJP sources saying Rahul Gandhi’s demand for a caste census after a similar exercise in Bihar may portray advocacy for the Backward Castes, but in reality was a ploy to break the ‘Hindu’ vote of BJP. Modi as the Prime Minister has rolled out welfare benefits for poor of all castes, consolidating the vote in his favour beyond caste considerations. The INDIA alliance is, hence, trying to aim for a second era of Mandal politics.

“Since yesterday, Congress leaders saying ‘jitni aabadi utna haq’. Former PM Manmohan Singh used to say that minorities have first right on resources of the country, and in that too the Muslims. Now, Congress is saying that population will determine who will have the first right on resources. So, do they want to reduce the right of the minorities? As per population, first right would be of whom? So, should the largest population of Hindus step up and take their rights?” PM Modi asked in Chhattisgarh.

Modi said for him the biggest population in the country is that of the poor and their welfare was his main aim. “Congress is being run by outsourced people who are with anti-national forces.

“Congress wants to divide the Hindus and destroy the country. They want to divide the poor. In the last 10 years, we made all schemes to empower the poor,” the Prime Minister stressed.