New Delhi, Dec 15 Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday hit out at the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi over his speech on the Constitution and said that his "grandmother Indira Gandhi herself became a "dictator" and today her grandson is giving advice to others".
Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Saturday also criticised the Congress leader and said the Gandhi family never did anything beyond enjoying the benefits of power.
"It is beyond my understanding that he (Rahul Gandhi) is the leader of a party that was in power for most of the time after independence, and today he is making such promises. What were you doing all these years? Even 10 years ago, you were in government; at that time, you could have conducted a caste census. Their language changes once they move to the opposition," Paswan said.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) and his family have never done anything except enjoy the privileges of power," he added.
During his address in the Parliament on Saturday, Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the Central government, accusing it of "cutting off" opportunities for youth by "handing over" various sectors to industrialists.
During a discussion on the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India, the Lok Sabha LoP referred to his earlier speech where he likened the current political landscape to a battle reminiscent of the Mahabharata, asserting that the Opposition is defending the Constitution's ideals.
"In my first speech, I described the idea of a battle, referring to the Mahabharata and Kurukshetra. There is a battle taking place in India today. On this side (the Opposition) are the defenders of the Constitution's idea. From each state, we represent those who upheld these ideals: in Tamil Nadu, we have Periyar; in Karnataka, Basavanna; in Maharashtra, Phule ji and Ambedkar ji; and in Gujarat, Mahatma Gandhi. You (the ruling party) praise these figures hesitantly because you have to, but the truth is that you want India to be run as it was in the past," Gandhi said in the Lok Sabha.
He reiterated his 'commitment' to a caste census, promising that it would lead to "a new kind of development" in India.
"We want to tell every poor person: you are protected by the Constitution. The BJP constantly attacks the Constitution, 24x7. I had promised in the House that we would implement a caste census."
A new kind of development will take place in India after that," Gandhi asserted.
Rahul Gandhi also vowed to ensure the removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservations.
The Winter session of Parliament commenced on November 25, with both Houses witnessing early adjournments due to disruptions. The session is scheduled to continue until December 20.
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