Congress raises Mandal pitch as Kharge slams caste rally ban in UP

NEW DELHI: After aggressive advocacy of caste census , removal of 50% ceiling on reservations and private sector quota, Congress has asserted its new branding as a "social justice" platform by slamming UP govt's ban on caste-based political rallies.

In a little-noticed statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at a CWC meet in Patna, asked PM Modi to answer how does the all-round acceptance of caste census square up with threat to jail people who come out to protest against atrocities inflicted on them. By linking the ban to UP CM Yogi Adityanath "who has written in the past against reservations", Kharge sought to paint caste rallies as part of protest and mobilisation rooted in caste injustices - in support for the now-banned gatherings.

The reaction from the AICC chief has been stronger than the words of protest murmured by some regional parties of Mandal hue.

But insiders said it is in line with the new politics, being pursued by Congress with a special nudge from Rahul Gandhi, who has found a strong ally in the party president. Since his debut, Rahul followed aggressive "pro-poor politics" with an element of Dalits and weaker sections. However, things took a dramatic turn over two years ago when he shifted gears to whole-heartedly embrace Mandalite fervour, with features like caste census and reservations.