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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lashed out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for claiming that India’s armed forces are “under the control of 10 per cent of the population”. Speaking at a campaign rally in Bihar ahead of the first phase of Assembly polls in the state, Rajnath Singh said Rahul Gandhi’s comments were an attempt to “divide the Army” and “create anarchy.” “The Indian Army has no religion or caste,” the Defence Minister asserted, adding, “Our soldiers have only one dharma- sainya dharma (the code of a soldier). Don’t drag our Army into politics. Whenever the nation has faced a crisis, our soldiers have raised India’s head high through courage and sacrifice.” Rajnath Singh accused Rahul Gandhi of “playing caste politics” and warned against demanding quotas within the defence forces. “We support reservations for the poor and the backward, but the Army cannot be seen through the lens of caste. This politics of sect and religion has caused great harm to the country,” he said. The remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, while campaigning in Bihar’s Aurangabad, said that “only 10 per cent of the country’s population- the upper castes- control corporate India, the bureaucracy, the judiciary and even the Army.” He added that the remaining 90 per cent- backward classes, Dalits, Adivasis and minorities- were being left behind, reiterating his demand for a nationwide caste census. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also weighed in, calling Rahul Gandhi’s statement “shameful.” “These are the same parties that have practiced caste politics for decades, and now they are dragging the Army into it,” she said. This isn’t the first time the Congress leader’s comments on the armed forces have sparked controversy. During his Bharat Jodo Yatra in 2023, Rahul Gandhi was reprimanded by the Supreme Court for claiming that “Chinese troops are thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.” The top court had then questioned how he arrived at such conclusions, warning him against making remarks that could harm national morale.
