NEW DELHI: Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the party, if voted to power, guarantees to revive the Scheduled Caste Plan and the Tribal Sub-Plan and implement it by law.
"Congress gives legal guarantee for implementation of SC-ST Sub Plan. As much as the SC/ST population, so much is the budget! The Special Component Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan for Scheduled Castes, introduced by Indira Gandhi in the 1970s to ensure a balanced and adequate share of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes in the budgetary resources, were abolished by the Modi government in 2014."
"Congress guarantees to revive the Scheduled Caste Plan and the Tribal Sub-Plan and implement it by law," Kharge said.
Further, the Congress President said that for the last seven decades, the Congress Party has been raising its voice most strongly for the rights and privileges of the backward, deprived, oppressed and exploited sections of society and all castes.
"Only Congress will ensure "share justice"", he said. Rahul Gandhi also posted on X and said that the Congress aims to ensure the participation of tribals in the building of modern India.
"The aim of the Congress is not only to protect water, forests and land but also to ensure the participation of tribals in the building of modern India. These 6 resolutions of ours dedicated to the tribal society will become a shield for the rights of the tribals by preventing the plunder of resources. The country will become strong only when the foundation is strong," he said.
The opposition parties of the INDIA bloc have been demanding a nationwide caste census, with the slogan 'Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq'. They have claimed that it would be conducive to policy-making for people belonging to different castes and communities, on the basis of their population. However, the ruling BJP has said that it would lead to a division in society. The 2024 general elections will be held in India in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The results will be announced on June 4.