Congress leader Singhvi schools Rahul Gandhi as 'Jitni Abadi Utna Haq' remark backfired

A day after former Congress President Rahul Gandhi's "Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq" (greater the population, the greater the rights) remark in connection with Bihar caste survey data, senior Supreme Court advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Singhvi disapproved the same.

After the Bihar government released the caste survey data,  Rahul Gandhi on Monday reiterated his call to provide people rights based on their population. Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, the Wayanad MP posted, "The caste census of Bihar has revealed that OBC + SC + ST are 84 per cent there. Out of 90 secretaries of the Central Government, only 3 are OBC, who handle only 5 per cent of India's budget! Therefore, it is important to know the caste statistics of India. The greater the population, the greater the rights – this is our pledge".

Differing from Gandhi Scion's remark, Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Tuesday stated that those endorsing "Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq" should first understand the consequences of it. He stated that this would result in majoritarianism. Notably, Majoritarianism is the idea that the numerical majority of a population should have the final say in determining the outcome of a decision.

"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," Singhvi posted on X.

Bihar caste census report 

The Bihar government unveiled its long-awaited caste-based census data, shedding light on the diverse demographics of the state, on Monda. This release provides an overview of the people belonging to various communities, including Other Backward Classes (OBC), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Unreserved category.

The census revealed that the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) comprise 63 per cent of the state's population. The Scheduled Castes account for 19 per cent, while Scheduled Tribes make up 1.68 per cent of the 13-crore population. The upper castes, or 'savannas', account for 15.52 per cent of the state's population. Overall, Bihar's population, as per the caste census, stands at an impressive 13,07,25,310 individuals.

The Bihar Chief Minister affirmed that based on the caste survey report, the state government will provide benefit to the backward communities. Meanwhile, Nitish Kumar's ally, RJD chief Lalu Yadav, said that it was a historic moment. "Today on Gandhi Jayanti, we all have become witnesses of this historic moment. Despite many conspiracies of the BJP, legal hurdles and all the conspiracies, today the Bihar government released the caste-based survey."