Kiren Rijiju Criticizes Rahul Gandhi’s Remarks on Miss India Representation

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, has recently criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his comments concerning the representation of Dalit, Tribal, and Other Backward Classes women in the Miss India beauty pageant.

Rijiju, in a post shared on X, referred to Gandhi as ‘bal buddhi’ while highlighting that Gandhi is now calling for reservations not just in pageants, but also in films and sports. He expressed his concern that such statements reflect a misguided perspective on representation.

The Union Minister further remarked that it is not within the purview of any government to select candidates for competitions like Miss India, nor for athletes in sports or actors in films. Rijiju emphasized that the current government has taken significant steps to ensure representation in prestigious services, citing the appointment of India’s first Tribal President and an OBC Prime Minister, as well as a record number of SC/ST Cabinet Ministers.

During the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan in Prayagraj, Gandhi pointed out the lack of representation for Dalit and Adivasi women among Miss India winners, and reiterated his call for a nationwide caste census. He argued that a large portion of the population, approximately 90%, remains excluded from various institutions, asserting the need for a better understanding of participation across different communities.

Gandhi stressed the importance of conducting a caste census to include marginalized groups, stating, ‘90 per cent of the people are not part of the system. They possess the necessary skills and talent, but are not connected with the system.’ He expressed a need to assess the representation of different castes in Miss India, media, and other sectors.