Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday reignited the national debate on caste representation by alleging that India’s key institutions — from corporate houses and the bureaucracy to the judiciary and even the armed forces — are dominated by communities comprising only about 10% of the population. Speaking at a rally in Kutumba, Bihar, on November 4 — the final day of campaigning for the first phase of the state’s assembly election — Gandhi urged voters to demand “caste justice” through a national caste census that he said would reveal the true social imbalance in India’s power structure.

“Take the list of the 500 biggest companies in India,” Gandhi told the crowd, “and look for Dalits, Extremely Backward Classes, Mahadalits, minorities, and Adivasis in them. You won’t find anyone. All of them come from the 10% of the population — the savarnas (upper castes).” He went on to say that the same elite groups hold sway over the nation’s economic and administrative power. “All the bank wealth goes to them. All the top jobs go to them. They control the bureaucracy,” he said.

Extending the argument beyond economics and governance, Gandhi added, “Look at the judiciary — they have control there too. And now, even the army.” He asserted that Dalits, backward classes, and minorities, who together make up nearly 90% of the population, remain underrepresented in the country’s most powerful institutions. “The 90% population, you will not find them anywhere,” he said.

The Rally and Its Context

Gandhi was speaking in Kutumba, a constituency reserved for Scheduled Castes, where Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Ram is contesting as the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) candidate. The rally, which was also broadcast on Gandhi’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, was part of the Congress’s intensified campaign in Bihar’s first phase of assembly elections scheduled for November 6.

The Congress, allied with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Left parties, has been foregrounding the themes of caste census and social justice. Bihar, with its deep-rooted caste dynamics, is central to Gandhi’s argument that India’s political and economic systems are structurally skewed against the majority of its citizens — those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and minorities.

Linking the Armed Forces to Caste Representation

What made this speech stand out from Gandhi’s earlier remarks was his inclusion of the armed forces among the institutions he said are monopolized by upper-caste communities. His statement that “they have control over the army” was the first time Gandhi has directly linked caste imbalance to the military, which traditionally describes itself as apolitical and above caste or religious considerations.

The Indian armed forces do not publicly release data on the caste or community composition of their personnel, and such information is officially treated as irrelevant to recruitment and promotion. However, historically, several regiments have had community-linked origins, such as Sikh, Rajput, and Gorkha regiments, a legacy of British colonial recruitment policies that emphasized the so-called “martial races.”

While Gandhi did not offer specific data, his remarks implied that structural inequality extends even into the military, an institution widely regarded as a merit-based and caste-neutral organization.

BJP’s Sharp Reaction: “An Insult to the Armed Forces”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted sharply to Gandhi’s comments, accusing him of trying to divide the armed forces along caste lines and of disrespecting India’s soldiers.

“Rahul Gandhi now wants to divide even our Armed Forces on caste lines!” BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari wrote on X. “The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force stand for ‘Nation First,’ not caste, creed, or class. Rahul Gandhi hates our brave armed forces! He is Anti-Indian Army!”

Andhra Pradesh minister and BJP leader Satya Kumar Yadav echoed this criticism, saying, “Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric has hit a new low. By dragging the Indian Army into his casteist tirade, he has insulted one of the world’s most professional and apolitical forces, where soldiers serve not by caste, but by the tricolour.”

Mumbai BJP spokesperson Suresh Nakhua also weighed in, remarking, “In his hate for PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi has crossed the line into hating India itself.”

The BJP has consistently accused Gandhi of undermining the nation’s institutions, and this latest controversy has provided the ruling party another opportunity to question his political judgment ahead of the Bihar polls.

The Demand for a Caste Census

Rahul Gandhi used the Bihar rally to reiterate his long-standing demand for a nationwide caste census, arguing that without empirical data, the government cannot ensure fair representation for marginalized groups. “Until we know the exact numbers, how can we ensure justice? The first step toward equality is truth — and the caste census will tell the truth,” Gandhi said.

The Congress and its allies, including the RJD, have been campaigning on this issue for several years. Gandhi’s call for caste enumeration gained traction after the Bihar government released its own caste survey in 2023. That survey revealed that the so-called upper castes or “unreserved” category make up just over 15% of the state’s population, while the Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) account for 36%, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) 27%, Scheduled Castes nearly 20%, and Scheduled Tribes a little under 2%.

In terms of religion, the survey showed that 82% of Bihar’s population is Hindu and around 18% Muslim. Gandhi and the RJD have been using these numbers to argue that backward and marginalized groups form the overwhelming majority and therefore deserve greater political, economic, and institutional representation.

Representation in Judiciary and Bureaucracy

The Congress leader’s remarks on judicial representation echo official data shared by the Union Law Ministry in Parliament. Between 2018 and 2022, only about 4% of judges appointed to high courts came from Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe communities, and 11% were from OBC backgrounds. Roughly one in twenty new judges during this period belonged to minority communities.

The Law Ministry has also stated that there is no reservation in appointments to the Supreme Court or high courts, and therefore, caste-wise data is not centrally maintained. However, since 2018, high court appointees have been asked to provide details of their social backgrounds to enhance diversity. “The government is committed to increasing social diversity in the judiciary,” the ministry said, while noting that the Chief Justice of India and high court chief justices are responsible for initiating judicial appointments.

Gandhi has repeatedly cited this lack of diversity in institutions as evidence of systemic exclusion. “Whether in the judiciary, bureaucracy, media, or corporate boardrooms, you will find the same 10% dominating every space,” he said at the Kutumba rally.

Political and Social Implications

Rahul Gandhi’s rhetoric is part of the Congress’s broader effort to recast itself as a party championing social justice and caste equity, a space traditionally occupied by regional parties like the RJD, Samajwadi Party, and BSP. In Bihar, where caste identity continues to play a defining role in politics, the Congress has sought to align its message with that of its ally RJD, led by Tejashwi Yadav.

Analysts note that Gandhi’s inclusion of the army in his remarks could prove politically risky, as the armed forces occupy a revered position in the national imagination. While his larger message was about social justice and representation, critics argue that invoking the army could alienate moderate voters who view the institution as sacrosanct and above politics.

Conclusion

Rahul Gandhi’s Bihar rally speech has reignited the debate over caste representation in India’s power structures while drawing fierce political backlash over his mention of the armed forces. His central argument — that 90% of Indians, comprising Dalits, OBCs, EBCs, Adivasis, and minorities, lack proportional representation in positions of authority — reflects his continuing push for a national caste census and systemic reform.

Yet, the political storm following his remarks highlights the sensitivity of linking caste issues with the military. While Gandhi’s message resonates with advocates of social justice, the BJP has seized upon his statement to portray him as divisive and disrespectful to India’s armed forces.

As Bihar heads into the first phase of polling, the controversy underscores how questions of caste, representation, and nationalism continue to intertwine at the heart of India’s electoral politics — with both sides using them to sharpen their political narratives.