Congress will ensure the 'backward' get respect in Bihar, north India: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said that his party is with backward communities in their fight for power in proportion to their population and again called for conducting a caste census at the earliest.

Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said this during a meeting with members of the Vishwakarma community at his New Delhi residence earlier this week.

In a video shared by him on Thursday, 26 June, Gandhi is heard saying that the Congress would strive to help the OBCs and the extremely backwards get respect in north India and Bihar.

नेता विपक्ष श्री @RahulGandhi ने बीते दिनों देश भर से आए विश्वकर्मा समाज के प्रतिनिधियों से मुलाकात की।

इस दौरान राहुल गांधी जी ने विश्वकर्मा समाज के प्रतिनिधियों से उनकी समस्याओं और उनके समाधानों पर विचार-विमर्श किया।

विश्वकर्मा समाज के प्रतिनिधियों की मुख्य शिकायतों में-… pic.twitter.com/7Ifl3DzfUb

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 26, 2025

"My aim is to hand over the Congress party's command into the hands of OBC, Dalit, tribal citizens. This is your weapon," he told the Vishwakarma community leaders.

"...when I see injustice being done to backward and very backward communities, I don't like it. My endeavour is that in Bihar and north India, the extremely backward should get respect and their history should be respected. I want to strengthen the original roots of the EBC community, which the BJP–RSS is trying to weaken," he said.

Gandhi pointed out during the meeting that people of the community were not there in the bureaucracy, media, corporate India, higher judiciary or among the generals in the armed forces.

"The solution to your problems is the caste census, and the day it is done, your community will realise that you do not have a share according to your population.

Caste census: why it matters to map it right

"The big question is how you will enter the country's power system. Merely having some MLAs from your community is not enough. You are fighting for representation and not for power. You should fight for power," the Congress leader said.

Sharing the video of the meeting on his WhatsApp channel, Gandhi said lack of representation, loss of traditional employment, humiliation and contempt, and a large population in the country being kept away from the mainstream were the main complaints of the Vishwakarma community.

Giving the example of the Congress' freedom struggle for complete independence, the Congress leader said, he explained to them that mere representation is not enough — "a united, strong voice is also necessary."

"The first and most important step in this direction is caste census — the tool that will bring out the real situation in society. This will expose the ground reality and policies will be made on that basis, which will ensure representation, participation and stakeholding.

"At the same time, I assured them that the Congress party is with them in this fight. Their representation will start from within the party. We have done this at the district level in Gujarat and will continue to do it state by state in the future," Gandhi said.

"When such leaders emerge from their society and get the cooperation and support of their community, only then this chain of change will begin," he said.

Reiterating his resolve to always support the backward groups in society and stand with the skilled artisans in their fight, the Congress leader offered them encouragement to move forward in this journey towards respect and equality.

PTI inputs edited for language

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