'Jaati kaise puch li Akhilesh Ji': Anurag Thakur shares old video of Akhilesh Yadav, rebutting his cast query

In a heated exchange in the parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition have locked horns following BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s controversial remarks on caste census during a Lok Sabha session on Tuesday.

The fallout has resulted in discussions within the Congress party about possibly filing a privilege motion against Thakur, as parliamentary proceedings faced significant disruption on Wednesday in response to his statements.

Thakur’s address received backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, further intensifying the contrast with Opposition reactions.

Among the dissenting voices, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav criticised Thakur's approach, questioning the how even could he ask someone's caste.

In a pointed retort, Thakur took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a video of Yadav in an earlier interaction, where Yadav was seen asking a journalist about his caste and name.

Along with the video, Thakur posted a caption in Hindi, “How did you ask about caste, Akhilesh ji.”

HOW DID THE CONTROVERSY START?

The controversy erupted during the discussion on the caste census, a campaign being led by the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. The situation intensified when Thakur, in his address, remarked, “The one whose caste is not known is discussing the census.” This comment was interpreted as a direct jab at Rahul Gandhi.

Without naming anyone explicitly, Thakur suggested that some individuals are “accidental Hindus,” implying that their understanding of the Mahabharata is also superficial.

In response, Gandhi stated, “Anyone who advocates for the rights of Adivasis, Dalits, and backward communities faces abuse. I will gladly accept this abuse… Anurag Thakur has insulted me, but I don’t seek an apology from him.”

He further declared, “You can insult me as much as you want, but we will ensure the caste census is passed in Parliament.”