1. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju criticized Rahul Gandhi for his remarks on lack of representation of Dalit, Tribal, and OBC communities in Miss India pageant.
2. Rijiju called Gandhi ‘bal buddhi’ and accused him of wanting reservations in Miss India competitions, films, and sports.
3. Rijiju defended the government’s stance on reservations and highlighted the representation of SC/ST and OBC individuals in top positions.
4. Gandhi called for a nationwide caste census and removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservations if Congress comes to power.
5. Gandhi emphasized the need for data on caste representation in various institutions and stated that 90 per cent of the population is being excluded.
6. The INDIA alliance is pushing for a caste census to ensure inclusion of all skilled and talented individuals in the system.