Rahul Gandhi and Anurag Thakur Clash in Parliament Over Caste Census and Union Budget
New Delhi, India – On Tuesday, a heated argument erupted in the Lok Sabha between Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and BJP MP Anurag Thakur during the discussion on the Union Budget. Rahul Gandhi accused Anurag Thakur of ‘abusing and insulting’ him. Thakur responded by questioning the caste of those speaking on the caste census, which led to further tensions.
Rahul Gandhi stated, ‘Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit, and the backward, is abused. I will happily accept these abuses… Anurag Thakur has abused me and insulted me. But I do not want any apology from him.’
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also intervened, questioning how one could ask about another’s caste. The caste census is a significant promise in the Congress party’s 2024 general election manifesto, which includes raising the reservation cap for SC, ST, and OBC communities.
During the budget discussion, Anurag Thakur defended the BJP’s lotus symbol and criticized the Congress party. He praised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for presenting the seventh consecutive budget and accused the opposition of insulting revered figures by disparaging the lotus symbol. Thakur also criticized the Congress’s historical stance on OBC reservations and accused the Gandhi family of nepotism and corruption.
Rahul Gandhi, in his speech, drew parallels from the Mahabharata and criticized the BJP, stating that there is an atmosphere of fear in the country. He mentioned that only one person in the BJP is allowed to aspire to be Prime Minister, which creates fear among others.
Doubts Revealed
Rahul Gandhi -: Rahul Gandhi is a leader from the Congress party, which is one of the major political parties in India. He is the son of Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
Anurag Thakur -: Anurag Thakur is a Member of Parliament (MP) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is another major political party in India. He has also served as a minister in the Indian government.
Parliament -: Parliament is a place where elected representatives meet to discuss and make laws for the country. It has two houses: Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Caste Census -: A caste census is a survey that collects information about the different castes in India. Castes are social groups that people are born into, and they have been a part of Indian society for a long time.
Union Budget -: The Union Budget is a financial plan presented by the government every year. It shows how the government plans to spend money and where it will get the money from.
Lok Sabha -: Lok Sabha is one of the two houses of the Indian Parliament. It is also called the House of the People because its members are directly elected by the people.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party. It is one of the two major political parties in India, known for its nationalist policies.
Samajwadi Party -: The Samajwadi Party is a regional political party in India, mainly active in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It focuses on social justice and equality.
Akhilesh Yadav -: Akhilesh Yadav is the leader of the Samajwadi Party. He has also served as the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, a large state in India.
Lotus Symbol -: The lotus is the symbol of the BJP. Political parties in India have symbols that help people identify them, especially during elections.
Congress Party -: The Congress Party, also known as the Indian National Congress, is one of the oldest political parties in India. It played a major role in India’s independence movement.
