Casteism in the Cabinet: Modi's amplification of Anurag Thakur

When parliamentary proceedings are broadcast live and shared in real time on social media, the relevance of expunging certain statements and remarks certainly loses some relevance.

For by the time Jagadambika Pal — the presiding officer in the Lok Sabha in the absence of Speaker Om Birla yesterday, 30 July — declared that he would expunge BJP MP Anurag Thakur’s jibe at Rahul Gandhi’s caste identity, it had already gone viral.

While right-thinking citizens voiced their outrage, right-wing BJP supporters rallied around Thakur, lauding him for a job well done. If Rahul Gandhi can get away with asking the caste identity of journalists and channel owners, they argued, it was fair game for a BJP MP to enquire about Leader of the Opposition's caste as well.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's fiery response in the House spoke for many in the uproar. Visibly upset, he asked how the BJP MP dared to ask the caste identity of another MP.

The controversy gained a fresh lease of life when Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the unedited video of Anurag Thakur’s speech later in the day. The PM, who was not present in the House when the exchange took place, applauded Thakur’s intervention. 'This speech by my young and energetic colleague, Shri Anurag Thakur is a must hear. A perfect mix of facts and humour, exposing the dirty politics of the INDI Alliance,' tweeted the PM.

The PM’s endorsement caused even more outrage in liberal and opposition circles. They were appalled at the PM’s radio silence on the death of students in the basement of a coaching centre in Delhi and to the martyrs in Kashmir, while apparently finding time to listen to and amplify Anurag Thakur’s 50-minute speech.

And now, that premier endorsement has led to a Congress MP moving a privilege motion against the prime minister for sharing an expunged remark with the general public.

Did the PM commit a breach of parliamentary privilege by sharing the unexpunged speech? Was he endorsing the BJP MP’s abusive slur directed at the LoP?

Modi supporters declared they were elated, while Modi critics felt that the PM had stooped too low and betrayed a regressive frame of mind. What kind of message is he sending out to the OBCs and the Dalits, asked columnist Swati Chaturvedi on X.

Hers is a valid question, and parliamentarians thought so too.

“I can never forget how a temple was washed after my visit, how the CM’s residence was washed with Ganga jal after I moved out," said Yadav in a sound byte to the media on Wednesday, 31 July, the day after the fracas.

"Can someone’s caste be asked in India’s Parliament?” asked Yadav. "Can BJP MPs ask about the caste of any Congress leader or any other person?"

"I feel that Anurag Thakur has been told that you will be a minister after you get abused 99 times in the House," he went on to quip.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, as usual, did not mince his words:

Ramesh continues:

'Former union minister Anurag Thakur brought parliamentary discourse to a new low by asking a fellow MP and the Leader of [the] Opposition about his caste identity.

'Upon protests from the Opposition benches, the Chair, Jagadambika Pal, assures MPs that the comments will be expunged (34:40). In a departure from all parliamentary norms — expunged comments are edited out of videos uploaded online — Sansad TV has uploaded the unedited speech, and the non-biological Prime Minister has shared and praised it publicly.'

The problem, however, is more in Thakur’s speech than in Modi's sharing of it — though that action speaks for itself, and for the prime minister's views on casteism possibly.

Thakur was not 'innocently' asking about Rahul Gandhi’s caste. He was actually abusing Gandhi by exclaiming that someone whose caste is not known was insisting on a caste census. 'Indians know the meaning of the jibe "one who does not know his caste",' posted Delhi University Professor and columnist Apoorvanand. 'Only an upper-caste person can stoop so low as to make this remark. After all, he is so sure about his caste/status. And its supremacy.' The jibe referred to children from mixed marraiges and was meant as a casteist slur, he suggested.

'Discussing caste in the context of policy (as Rahul Gandhi has been doing) is about addressing social justice and people’s empowerment. This is fundamentally different from using caste to make derogatory remarks about an individual. It's crucial to recognise and respect this distinction' — so read one of the more balanced reactions, pointing out the difference between Rahul Gandhi's interest in the caste census and Anurag Thakur’s too-clever-by-half slur.

'Didn't Rahul Gandhi let slip an opportunity to educate detractors that inter-religious marriages (more so, inter-caste marriages) help sons and daughters of such marriages go beyond caste and religion? In any case, intermixing of social groups helps their richer coexistence,' said political scientist Suhas Palshikar.

The prime minister’s endorsement of Thakur’s expunged slur did invite criticism from common netizens as well. Some of the (unedited) comments addressed to Prime Minister Modi on X were:

• 'To get endorsed by the PM for a despicable speech? Have you factored the consequences? The push back could be brutal'

• 'Tweets on Martyrs: 0; Tweets on victims of Rail accident: 0; Tweet on casteist speech by BJP MP: Instant with link'

• 'Did you forget you are the prime minister?'

• 'What kind of priorities do you have?'

• 'Asking about the caste of the leader of the opposition is humour for you?'

And now, we wait for the fate of the privilege motion.