PM Modi Hits Out at Congress Over Caste Politics, Showcases NDA’s Welfare Achievements

Paromita Das

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 6^th Feb. In a fiery speech in the Lok Sabha on February 4, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a sharp attack on the Congress party, accusing it of using caste divisions for electoral gains. While responding to the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, PM Modi highlighted his government’s commitment to empowering Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). His remarks came amidst the ongoing debate over caste representation, particularly in response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s repeated calls for a nationwide caste census.

PM Modi’s address was not just a routine rebuttal—it was a well-crafted counteroffensive aimed at dismantling the Congress party’s narrative on caste politics and showcasing the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s track record in uplifting backward communities.

A Direct Challenge to Congress’s Caste Narrative

One of the key moments of PM Modi’s speech was his critique of those who, in his view, exploit caste identities for political mileage. He pointed out that for decades, OBC MPs had been demanding Constitutional status for the OBC Commission, yet successive Congress-led governments ignored their demands.

“For the last 30 years, OBC MPs have been demanding Constitutional status for the OBC Commission, but those who claim to support caste-based politics never acted. We granted Constitutional status to the OBC Commission and worked to increase opportunities for SC, ST, and OBCs in every sector.”

This statement was a direct response to Rahul Gandhi, who has repeatedly emphasized caste-based representation and accused the government of neglecting OBCs. Recently, Rahul Gandhi referenced a caste survey in Telangana, which indicated that nearly 90% of the state’s population belonged to Dalit, Adivasi, or OBC communities. He argued that the OBC population across Bharat is not less than 50% and questioned their representation in government and corporate sectors.

PM Modi, however, countered this by listing concrete steps taken by his government to uplift backward communities rather than engaging in mere rhetoric. By drawing attention to Congress’s inaction, he sought to expose what he called the party’s hypocrisy on caste issues.

Taking a Dig at the Gandhi Family’s ‘Dynastic Politics’

Another striking moment in PM Modi’s speech was his reference to dynastic politics, which he linked to caste-based electoral strategies. He posed three pointed questions to the opposition:

“Has there ever been a time when three MPs from the same SC family served simultaneously? Has this happened with any ST family? There is a vast difference between their words and actions.”

This was a thinly veiled jibe at the Gandhi family, which currently has three sitting MPs in Parliament—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. By drawing this contrast, Modi turned the tables on the Congress party, implying that while it claims to represent backward communities, its leadership remains firmly within a single privileged family.

He further suggested that Rahul Gandhi’s insistence on caste profiling in various sectors—including bureaucracy, media, judiciary, and even beauty pageants—was a divisive tactic meant to create societal rifts for political gains.

This argument aligns with the BJP’s long-standing criticism of the Congress for promoting dynastic rule while accusing others of lacking representation.

Concrete Steps Towards Educational and Social Empowerment

Moving beyond rhetoric, PM Modi backed his claims with statistics and policy measures that his government has implemented for backward communities. One of the most significant achievements he cited was the expansion of educational opportunities for SC, ST, and OBC students.

Before 2014, there were only 3,800 MBBS seats available for ST students; today, that number has increased to nearly 9,000. Similarly, MBBS seats for OBC students rose from less than 14,000 to around 32,000.

Additionally, PM Modi highlighted his government’s unprecedented expansion in higher education infrastructure:

• A new university has been established every week
• An Industrial Training Institute (ITI) has been set up every day
• A college has been opened every two days

These figures, according to the Prime Minister, are a testament to his government’s dedication to increasing educational opportunities for marginalized groups rather than merely using them as a vote bank.

Moreover, the NDA government has expanded reservations for OBCs in All India Quota medical seats, ensured greater representation in government jobs, and implemented various welfare schemes targeting disadvantaged communities.

The Political and Electoral Implications

PM Modi’s speech comes at a crucial time, with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections behind him and upcoming state elections on the horizon. The BJP has consistently framed itself as a champion of development, contrasting its governance model with what it calls the Congress’s divisive politics.

By attacking Congress’s caste-based rhetoric, Modi is aiming to consolidate support among OBCs, a crucial voting bloc that has played a significant role in the BJP’s electoral success in recent years. The BJP has actively worked to increase its influence among OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis through policies, targeted welfare schemes, and social engineering.

On the other hand, Rahul Gandhi’s persistent advocacy for a caste census suggests that Congress is trying to mobilize backward communities by emphasizing representation. The caste survey in Telangana, which revealed that Backward Classes constitute 56.33% of the state’s population, has been used by Gandhi to argue for greater OBC representation at the national level.

The clash between these two narratives—PM Modi’s development-oriented approach and Rahul Gandhi’s representation-based politics—will likely shape the discourse leading up to the next general elections.

Conclusion: A Battle Over Caste and Development

PM Modi’s speech in the Lok Sabha was not just a rebuttal to the opposition but a strategic move to redefine the discourse around caste politics in Bharat. By highlighting his government’s concrete achievements and exposing what he called Congress’s hypocrisy, Modi sought to position the BJP as the true champion of backward communities.

At the same time, his remarks serve as a warning to the opposition: caste-based politics alone may not be enough to counter the BJP’s development narrative. While Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party continue to push for a caste census and increased representation, PM Modi is banking on tangible policy measures and welfare programs to retain the trust of marginalized communities.

As the political landscape evolves, the debate over caste, representation, and governance will remain a key battleground in Bharatiya politics. The coming months will reveal whether PM Modi’s developmental approach or Rahul Gandhi’s emphasis on caste census gains greater traction among the electorate.