Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: As political tempers flare over the timing of the caste census announcement following the Pahalgam terror attack, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has accused the Centre of trying to distract the nation from its failure to act decisively on national security.
“The entire nation was waiting to see how the government would act to reclaim Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and eliminate terrorists. Instead, 26 unarmed and innocent tourists were killed,” Singh said on Thursday. “And now the government is bringing up the caste census to deflect attention.”
A Historical Parallel: Rajiv Gandhi’s 1990 Critique
Interestingly, political observers are drawing a parallel with 1990, when former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had similarly questioned the timing of the Mandal Commission’s implementation amid heightened Kashmir tensions.
During a Lok Sabha speech on September 6, 1990, Rajiv Gandhi, then Leader of the Opposition, criticized the VP Singh government for pushing through the 27% OBC reservation in central government jobs just as the situation in Kashmir and Punjab was deteriorating.
“The situation in Kashmir is worse than it has ever been since independence. The Prime Minister had even asked the nation to be psychologically prepared for war,” Gandhi said.
His remarks came at a time when militancy in Kashmir was peaking, and Kashmiri Pandits were being forced to flee their homes following targeted killings.
The North-South Divide Then and Now
Rajiv Gandhi had also warned of the emerging North-South divide, citing language politics stirred by certain Chief Ministers. This warning echoes present-day concerns as southern states voice dissent over Hindi imposition via the National Education Policy (NEP) and the ongoing delimitation debate.
“We already have North-South tension brewing on the question of language,” Gandhi had said.
AAP’s Allegation Against Modi Govt
Sanjay Singh, referencing this historical context, claimed that the Modi government is repeating history by using the caste census to distract from security failures.
“More than 2,000 people were present in Pahalgam, and yet terrorists came and killed at will. This is a direct failure of the Modi government,” he said.
He also criticised the PM for leaving the all-party meeting early and proceeding with election campaigning in Bihar. “The government must answer and take responsibility,” he added.
As the political discourse around caste and security continues to dominate the headlines, this “Throwback Thursday” reminds us that the intersection of social reform and national crisis has long been a complex space in Indian politics.
