New Delhi, 07 September (H.S.): Former member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, former chairman of the State Backward Classes Commission and president of the Karpoori Thakur Vichar Manch, Hira Thakur, joined the Congress on Monday. He decided to leave the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that backward classes had been subjected to injustice on the issue of a caste census.

Several senior leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Rajendra Pal Gautam, AICC OBC Department chairman Anil Jaihind and Sitapur Congress MP Rakesh Rathore, were present at the programme held at the Congress headquarters. Hira Thakur was formally inducted into the party on the occasion.

Hira Thakur alleged that not a single BJP leader was speaking the truth. He said that Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur was among the first leaders in the country to provide reservation to backward classes in Bihar, but a large section of the backward-class population continues to remain deprived of its rights. Thanking Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, Thakur said that Gandhi had strongly raised the issue of a caste census and fought a major battle for it. Thakur alleged that when the census agenda was brought forward, the backward castes were deceived.

Rajendra Pal Gautam said that the BJP government was working only for a select group of capitalists. He alleged that public sector undertakings had been sold, employment opportunities had been taken away from the youth and education had been made expensive. He said that Rahul Gandhi had been continuously fighting on these issues, from the streets to Parliament.

Sitapur MP Rakesh Rathore said that the Congress was fighting for social justice, the Constitution and the rights of disadvantaged sections of society. He said that the entry of a leader like Hira Thakur into the Congress would further strengthen the voice of the backward and extremely backward communities.

AICC OBC Department chairman Anil Jaihind said that Hira Thakur had been fighting for the rights of the extremely backward communities for several years.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar