"Intention is to divert issue" says Minister Prahlad Joshi on opposition criticism of Anurag Thakur's remarks

New Delhi [India], July 31 (ANI): After BJP MP Anurag Thakur's caste remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a row in parliament, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said that Thakur did not name anyone and did not ask the caste either.
"He (Anurag Thakur) did not ask the caste. Those who don't know caste are speaking about the Caste Census. He did not name anyone, so why are you taking it upon yourself?" Pralhad Joshi said.
Pralhad Joshi further said, " Anurag Thakur clarified it on the floor of the House. They need an excuse. The intention is to divert the issue."
"From Pandit Nehru to Indira Gandhi, to Rajiv Gandhi - everybody has opposed reservation for OBC, They rejected the proposal from Mandal Commission for the OBC community," Joshi said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, " I condemn what Congress has done, they keep talking about castes all the time...they ask the castes of media people and army personnel...Congress has hatched a conspiracy to divide the country based on castes...they keep asking about everyone's castes, but Rahul Gandhi's caste can't be asked...are they above the country and Parliament?...they want to weaken democracy and the country's economy, they want to spread anarchy and violence."
Anurag Thakur on Tuesday entered into a heated argument with Rahul Gandhi during his speech in the Lower House of the parliament, saying that those whose caste is not known are asking for the caste census.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) talks about OBC, he talks about the census, whose caste is not known are asking for the caste census."
He further added, "In this parliament, a former prime minister RG-1 (Rajiv Gandhi) protested against giving the reservation to OBCs"
Over Thakur's remark, LoP Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Hamirpur MP, saying "You can insult me every day but keep in mind that the caste census will be passed here (Lok Sabha) one day. Whoever raises the issues of Adivasi, Dalit and the backwards. Is abused. I will happily accept these abuses...Anurag Thakur has abused me and insulted me. But I do not want an apology from him."
Meanwhile, the issue has blown up into a full-scale war of words between the treasury and opposition benches. DMK MP Kanimozhi criticised the BJP leader for raising the caste of an MP in the house.
"It is unfortunate that a senior leader, who has also been a minister, thinks that caste is important to any human being, let alone the LoP. This is the example they are going to set for the youth of this country. I am worried about the future of the young people of this country. It is even more saddening that the PM has retweeted that speech and said that everyone should listen to that speech. Is this what they are trying to tell the nation that caste is important?" she said. (ANI)