Overview
- Speaking in Kutumba, Aurangabad on November 4, Gandhi said upper castes make up a dominant 10% that controls the Army, judiciary, bureaucracy and major corporations.
- He argued that Dalits, EBCs, OBCs, Adivasis and minorities who comprise the remaining 90% lack representation, citing a claim of no presence in India’s top 500 companies.
- BJP figures, including spokesperson Suresh Nakhua, condemned the remarks as divisive and accused Gandhi of seeking caste in the Armed Forces.
- Gandhi’s comments come two days before Bihar’s first-phase polling on November 6 and form part of his broader social-justice pitch focused on representation.
- Reporters note there is no official caste-wise data for the armed forces and only limited category data for higher judiciary appointments, as Gandhi’s stance follows earlier controversies that drew a Supreme Court rebuke and a defamation complaint.