Rahul Gandhi's remark '10% of population controls Army' in Bihar poll campaign sparks row

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday stirred a controversy during a campaign rally in Bihar's Kutumba, ahead of the Assembly election that begins on Thursday, after claiming that the Indian Army is "under the control of 10 per cent of the country's population", in a reference to the upper castes.

Addressing a public gathering, Gandhi said, "If you look closely, 90 percent of the country's population is Dalit, Maha Dalit, backward, extremely backward, or from minority communities. Ninety percent of the people come from the most backward and tribal sections of society."

He went on to add, "If you take out a list of India's 500 largest companies, you won't find anyone from the backward or Dalit communities there, they all come from that top 10 percent. All the jobs go to them. They have control over the armed forces. You won't find the remaining 90 percent population represented anywhere."

"We want an India that has space for 90 per cent of the country's population, where people can live with dignity and happiness. The Congress has always fought for the backward," Rahul Gandhi said.

Reacting to his remarks, BJP leader Suresh Nakhua said, "Rahul Gandhi is now



searching for a caste in the Armed Forces and says 10% of people control it. In his hate for PM Modi, he has already crossed the line of hating India."

It is also not the first time he has made eyebrow-raising comments about the Army.

In August, he was reprimanded by the Supreme Court over the comment - "Chinese troops are thrashing Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh" - made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

The Congress MP had claimed that the Chinese army occupied 2,000 sq km of Indian territory and was "thrashing" Indian soldiers in Arunachal Pradesh.

These statements led to a defamation complaint from a retired defence official in Lucknow, alleging that the remarks insulted and tarnished the image of the Indian Army.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier declined to quash the complaint, after which Gandhi had appealed to the Supreme Court.

During the Supreme Court hearing, the bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih made pointed oral observations, questioning the senior Congress leader about the credibility and basis of his statements, remarking, "If you are a true Indian, you would not say all this."