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Rahul Gandhi’s claim that “10% of India controls even the Army” has triggered a political storm. Rajnath Singh hit back sharply, saying the forces know no caste or creed. But can this war of words over reservation shake the faith in India’s most respected institution?
Rajnath Singh fires back at Rahul Gandhi’s reservation remark
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh strongly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for suggesting that India’s armed forces are dominated by a small segment of the population. Singh, addressing a public rally in Bihar ahead of the state’s first phase of Assembly elections, said the Congress leader’s remarks were aimed at dividing the military along caste and communal lines.
“The Indian Army has no religion or caste,” Rajnath Singh declared, receiving applause from the audience. “Our soldiers follow only one dharma Sainya Dharma, the code of a soldier. Those who try to drag the Army into politics are committing a grave mistake. Whenever the country has faced danger, our jawans have responded with unmatched courage and sacrifice,” he said.
Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of “playing with fire” by attempting to introduce caste considerations into the defence forces. “We believe in social justice and reservations for the poor and backward, but the Army must remain above caste and sectarian politics,” the minister stressed.
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The row began after Rahul Gandhi, while addressing a rally in Aurangabad, Bihar, alleged that “10 percent of India’s population—mostly from upper castes controls corporate India, the judiciary, the bureaucracy, and even the Army.” Gandhi claimed that the remaining 90 percent, comprising backward classes, Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities, have been left behind, reiterating his long-standing demand for a nationwide caste census.
His comments, made in the middle of an intense campaign season, have ignited sharp reactions from the ruling BJP, which accused him of attempting to “politicize” one of India’s most respected institutions.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also condemned Gandhi’s statement, terming it “shameful and irresponsible.” She said, “The same parties that thrived on caste-based politics for decades are now trying to drag the Army into it. This is unacceptable.”
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BJP leaders across states echoed similar sentiments, calling Gandhi’s assertion an “insult” to India’s soldiers who serve the nation irrespective of caste, creed, or religion.
This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi’s comments on defence matters have sparked outrage. During the Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2023, he claimed that Chinese soldiers were “thrashing Indian troops” in Arunachal Pradesh. The Supreme Court had then pulled him up for making unverified and demoralizing statements.
As Bihar heads into a high-stakes election, the latest controversy has added yet another flashpoint in the ongoing political slugfest between the BJP and Congress this time over the nation’s most revered institution, the Indian Army.
