New Delhi: “Jitni abadi utna haq (rights proportional to share in population)” — a pitch made by Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi for expanding the reservation pie to backward castes — will “eventually culminate into majoritarianism”, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said Tuesday in a post on X.
Singhvi later deleted the post after the party distanced itself from it, and blamed the message on a staff member. However, the BJP accused the Congress of forcing Singhvi to delete it.
In the now-deleted post, Singhvi said, “Equality of opportunity is never the same as equality of outcomes. People endorsing #jitniabadiutnahaq have to first completely understand the consequences of it. It will eventually culminate into majoritarianism.”
The message created a flutter due to its variance with the Congress’ stand that there should be a nationwide caste census.
Seeking to contain any potential damage from Singhvi’s post, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Jairam Ramesh said that it does not reflect the position of the party.
“Dr Singhvi’s tweet may be a reflection of his own personal view but in no way does it reflect the position of the Indian National Congress — the essence of which is contained both in the Raipur Declaration of 26th February 2023 and in the CWC (Congress Working Committee) Resolution of September 16th, 2023,” Ramesh posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The Congress’ discomfiture stems from the fact that the slogan “jitni abadi utna haq” was coined by Rahul in April this year in Karnataka’s Kolar, in the run-up to the assembly polls to the state. The slogan borrows from the late BSP founder Kanshi Ram’s “Jiski jitni sankhya bhaari, uski utni hissedari” pitch.
Speaking to news agency PTI, Singhvi, who is a leading lawyer, claimed that the post was made by a member of his staff.
“Careless forward by a staff member, which was deleted with a slight time lag. When I came out of a felicitation function in the Supreme Court and saw it… it was deleted immediately,” Singhvi said.
He added that he endorsed the Congress’ view, reiterated Monday after the release of the Bihar caste survey data, that a nationwide caste census was the need of the hour.
“The courts have repeatedly said that decisions should be made based on data and that is why caste census is needed,” Singhvi said.
‘Distrust between Congress and Singhvi’
The BJP also waded into the controversy, alleging that the Congress forced Singhvi, who is a member of the CWC, to delete his post.
“The Congress forced Abhishek Manu Singhvi to delete his tweet because it was making more sense than the handout Rahul Gandhi is reading from these days,” BJP IT cell in-charge Amit Malviya posted on X.
“You can call it dictatorial but the distrust between Congress and Dr Singhvi, after Rahul’s LS membership fiasco, is palpable.”
Malviya was referring to Singhvi’s role as legal counsel for Rahul in the defamation case against him that had led to the termination of his Lok Sabha membership in March this year.
In August, the SC stayed Rahul’s conviction by a lower court in Surat, leading to the restoration of his membership.