New Delhi: After BJP MP Anurag Thakur's alleged caste remarks on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sparked a row in parliament, Former Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said that the opposition is insulting the whole country by asking for a caste census.
BJP MP Bommai said, "I am shocked. How can the caste census be held without asking the caste? If they think they were insulted (by Anurag Thakur), they are insulting the whole country by asking for a caste census."
He further added, "They are talking about caste census, then why is it an insult when someone asks them their caste?"
BJP MP Sudhansu Trivedi hitting back on the opposition said why they are not conducting caste census in the states they are in power.
"Why are they not conducting it (caste-based census) where they are in power like Himachal, Telangana, Karnataka, Punjab or West Bengal? It has already been done in Karnataka, why are they not issuing the data?" Trivedi said.
The Rajyasabha MP further added, "There is a competition amongst the Opposition that who can create more ruckus in the Parliament."
The INDIA bloc has launched a united attack on Anurag Thakur as DMK MP Kanimozhi said, "It is unfortunate that a senior leader, who has also been a minister, thinks that caste is important of any human being, leave alone the LoP.
"This is the example they are going to set for the youth of this country. I am worried about the future of the young people of this country. It is even more saddening that the PM has retweeted that speech and said that everyone should listen to that speech. Is this what they are trying to tell the nation that caste is important?" Kanimozhi added.
Anurag Thakur on Tuesday entered into a heated argument with Rahul Gandhi during his speech in the Lower House of the parliament, saying that those whose caste is not known are asking for the caste census.
"He (Rahul Gandhi) talks about OBC, he talks about the census, those whose caste is not known are asking for the caste census," he had said in parliament.
—ANI