Cong overlooked interests of Dalits in ’90s, says Rahul

The Congress did not protect the interests of the Dalits and backwards the way it should have in the 1990s, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said on Thursday.

Addressing a programme organised by Dalit influencers here, Rahul said merely getting political representation for the Dalits and backwards would not help solve their problems unless they got “bhagidari” in institutions and wealth.

He also said once the “original base” of the Congress is back, the BJP and the RSS would have to run away.

Rahul said during Indira Gandhi’s tenure, the Congress had full confidence of Dalits, minorities and backwards, but in the 1990s “there were shortcomings”, and the fact is not lost on the party.

“In the last 10-15 years, the Congress did not do what it should have done (for the Dalits, backwards). If I don’t say this, I will be lying. If the Congress supported and maintained the confidence of Dalits, backwards, the RSS could never have come to power,” he said. “This means that there has to be internal revolution within the party by bringing in people like you,” he said at the ‘Vanchit Samaj: Dasha aur Disha’ programme.