India’s New Delhi- After famous Dalit politician and former Member of Parliament from Delhi Udit Raj said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi may become “the second Ambedkar” for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), a major political storm broke out. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly criticized this claim and accused Raj of insulting both Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the father of the Indian Constitution and a well-known constitutionalist around the world, and the Dalit population as a whole.
Udit Raj asked the OBCs to take advantage of what he called a “historic opportunity for progress” in a post on the social media site X on Saturday. He told them to “follow and support” what Rahul Gandhi said and promised at an event in Talkatora Stadium in Delhi on Friday. Raj’s post said, “If they (OBCs) do this, then Rahul Gandhi will be their second Ambedkar.” Dr. B.R. Ambedkar is a well-known individual who fought for social justice and positive development for the Dalit group, whom he was born into.
What Udit Raj Means: Rahul Gandhi’s Push for a Caste Census
It is clear that Udit Raj’s parallel is a direct reference to Rahul Gandhi’s recent and loud promise to hold a caste census across India. Gandhi was very honest when he spoke at the Delhi event and said that he had made a big mistake in his political career when it came to the OBC minority. “I didn’t protect the OBC community the way I should have,” Rahul Gandhi said, admitting a mistake he made in the past.
He went on to clarify this “mistake” by saying, “The reason is that I didn’t fully understand the OBC issues at the time.” I knew how hard it was for Dalits ten to fifteen years ago. Their difficulties are clear and easy to understand, but the problems of OBCs are still concealed. Gandhi then said he was sorry and promised, “If I had known about your problems and issues at that time, I would have done a caste-based census right away.” I made a mistake, and I’m going to fix it.
The OBC community is thought to be the largest group of people in India. Since the 1931 census, however, there has been no official or complete data on caste that has been made public. In recent years, Rahul Gandhi has been a strong supporter of this data collecting. Because of this, the government has promised to include caste enumeration in the next census, which was delayed because to Covid-19 and is now set to start next year.
BJP’s Strong Response: Accusations of Insulting Ambedkar and Ignoring History
The BJP quickly spoke out against Udit Raj’s contentious remark, saying it was a huge insult to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and the Dalit community. BJP spokeswoman Shehzad Poonawalla hit back hard, saying, “The Congress has made insulting Dalits and BR Ambedkar its identity…”
Poonawalla next talked about what he said were historical examples of the Congress party’s disdain for Ambedkar’s legacy and the Dalit community. He asked, “Who insulted the ‘original’ Ambedkar?” Who did not give him the Bharat Ratna? Who stopped his Constitution from being put into effect in Jammu and Kashmir? Who talked about reserving seats for Muslims? “Reservation is bad,” stated Jawaharlal Nehru.
Poonawalla also made a point of criticizing the choice of comparison: “They want to be a second Ambedkar, not Nehru or Indira Gandhi?” The Gandhi family is saying that Nehru and Indira Gandhi were incorrect. The BJP spokesperson’s statement is meant to point out what they see as a contradiction in the Congress’s story and an implicit acknowledgment that the way its prior leaders handled social justice was not perfect.
OBCs will have to think that history does not give opportunities for progress again and again. They should follow and support what Rahul Gandhi said in the Talkatora Stadium conference. If they do so, then Rahul Gandhi will prove to be the second Ambedkar for them.
— Dr. Udit Raj (@Dr_Uditraj) July 26, 2025
Gandhi’s Self-Reflection and Promise to Help OBCs
Rahul Gandhi gave a long speech at the “Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan” (Participation Justice Convention) for OBCs on Friday. In it, he talked about his political path in depth. He said that he thinks he deserves “good marks” for his work on issues that affect “tribals, Dalits, and women.” He mentioned specific laws that were passed, such the Land Acquisition Bill, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), and the Right to Food as successes.
However, he was very clear about a major “shortcoming” in his and the Congress party’s work: “I didn’t protect the OBC community the way I should have,” a news agency cited him as saying. He said that the problems of OBCs were “hidden” while the problems of Dalits and tribals were “visible.” He said, “Ten to 15 years ago, I understood the problems of Dalits.” It’s easy to see and understand their concerns, while OBCs’ problems are still buried.
Gandhi ended his speech with a strong promise: “If I had known about your problems and issues at that time, I would have done a caste-based census right away.” I made a mistake, and I’m going to fix it. This public commitment shows how the Congress is focusing on the OBC vote bank and pushing for a caste census as a major campaign promise. So, the uproar that Udit Raj’s statement caused is now a big part of the ongoing political debate in India about caste, social justice, and how to win elections.