Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has shredded Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comments that there are no “Dalit and adivasi” in the list of the beauty pageant Miss India as something that can only come from a “bal buddhi (juvenile)”.

At the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan held in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj to demand a caste census, Mr Gandhi on Saturday had said India can’t function well without the participation of the “90 per cent” population.

“I have checked the list of Miss India, which did not have any Dalit, adivasi (tribal) or OBC (Other Backward Classes) women. Some will talk about cricket or Bollywood. No one will show the cobbler or plumber. Even top anchors in the media are not from the 90 per cent,” Mr Gandhi told reporters in Prayagraj.

“We want to know how many in institutions, corporates, Bollywood, Miss India are from the 90 per cent. I am only saying that 90 per cent did not have bhagidari and this should be checked,” the Congress MP said.

Mr Rijiju, the Union Minister of Minority Affairs and MP from Arunachal Pradesh, responding to Mr Gandhi’s comment, suggested the Congress leader should do a fact-check – President Droupadi Murmu is the country’s first President who is a tribal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to OBC, and there is a record number of cabinet ministers who are from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities.

“Now, He wants reservations in Miss India competitions, films, sports! It is not only issue of ‘Bal Budhi‘, but people who cheer him are equally responsible too!” Mr Rijiju posted. “Childish wit may be good for entertainment but don’t make fun of backward communities in your divisive tactics,” he said in Hindi.

Now, He wants reservations in Miss India competitions, Films, sports! It is not only issue of “Bal Budhi”, but people who cheer him are – equally responsible too!
बाल बुद्धि मनोरंजन के लिए अच्छी हो सकती है पर अपनी विभाजनकारी चालों में, हमारे पिछड़े समुदायों का मजाक न उड़ाएं। pic.twitter.com/9Vm7ITwMJX

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 25, 2024

“Rahul Gandhi ji, governments don’t select Miss India, governments don’t select athletes for Olympics, and governments do not choose actors for films… Rahul Gandhi ji made it clear that Supreme Court won’t be allowed to alter reservations in IAS, IPS, IFS, all top services recruitment. But he can’t see 1st tribal President, OBC PM, record numbers of SC/ST cabinet ministers” Mr Rijiju said.

In his interaction with reporters yesterday, Mr Gandhi had warned the BJP may say he was trying to divide the country with his demand of a caste census.

Home Minister Amit Shah has said the decadal census exercise would be carried out at an appropriate time and an announcement would be made whenever it is decided.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge today took a swipe at the Narendra Modi government over what he called was a “government of U-turns”, a day after the Centre announced its approval of the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).

The UPS provides an assured pension, minimum pension, and assured family pension.

Mr Kharge said the ‘U’ in UPS stands for “Modi government’s U-turns.”

“Post June 4, the power of the people has prevailed over the arrogance of power of the Prime Minister. Rollback in the budget regarding long-term capital gain/indexation, sending Waqf Bill to joint parliamentary committee, rollback of broadcast bill, rollback of lateral entry,” Mr Kharge said in a post on X.

“We will keep ensuring accountability and protect 140 crore Indians from this despotic government,” the Congress chief said.

The ‘U’ in UPS stands for Modi Govt’s U turns!

Post June 4, the power of the people has prevailed over the arrogance of power of the Prime Minister.

– Rollback in the budget regarding Long Term Capital Gain / Indexation

– Sending Waqf Bill to JPC

– Rollback of Broadcast… pic.twitter.com/DJbDoEyl6g

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) August 25, 2024

In response, BJP spokesperson Tuhin Sinha told NDTV that wherever the Congress rules, such as Telangana and Karnataka, they always end up making a mess of the finances.

“Every morning, they (Congress) come and spread lies. They have nothing to do. The New UPS has been in the works for over a year. Finance Secretary TV Somanathan conducted over 100 meetings before it was finalised. Unlike the Congress, who thinks in extremely hasty manner, and messes up finances where they are in power, in Telangana and Karnataka, the central government takes care before taking key decisions,” Mr Sinha told NDTV.

Fulfilling long-pending demands of government employees ahead of the assembly elections in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the UPS.

The new pension scheme also guarantees an assured minimum pension of Rs 10,000 per month on superannuation after a minimum of 10 years of service.

This option scheme will benefit 23 lakh central government employees, and the number would rise to 90 lakh if state governments want to join the scheme.

Under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), retired government employees received 50 per cent of their last drawn salary as monthly pensions. The amount keeps increasing with the hike in the dearness allowance rates. OPS is not fiscally sustainable as it is not contributory, and the burden on the exchequer keeps mounting.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday strongly condemned crimes against women, calling them “unpardonable” and emphasized that negligence should be punished. Speaking at Lakhpati Didi Sammelan in Maharashtra, he assured that the central government would support state governments in addressing these crimes and highlighted new provisions for registering e-FIRs in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.