Lucknow/IBNS/UNI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi Tuesday alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is weakening democracy by suppressing the voices of Dalits, poor and backward people.

After reaching the capital Lucknow for the 'Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra', the Congress leader said that Dalits, backward people, and tribals are being suppressed and threatened.

"There is not a single person from OBC, Dalit or tribal community among the owners and management of 200 big companies of India. There is no place in India for 50 percent backward people, 20 percent Dalits, minorities and tribals," he said.

Raising the issue of paper leaks in government job recruitment, he said that after spending lakhs of rupees on studies, when children take the examination, the paper gets leaked.

"Youth spend money to study, but when the time of examination comes, one percent people steal the paper in advance," he said.

Describing the Agneepath scheme as a betrayal to the youth, Rahul said that Agniveer will neither get pension nor will he get the status of martyr. "Agniveer will be fired after four years," he said.

He said that the caste census was a revolutionary step.

"We have included caste census in our manifesto and as soon as our government comes to power, we will implement caste census, this will help us to know how much population is there and how much money is in whose hands," he said.

The Congress leader said, "Until the caste census is conducted, OBCs, Dalits, and tribals will have to wander on the streets carrying posters. The OBC-Dalits and tribals of the country have to take their rights. The first step to claim rights is the caste census.

“The Congress party has placed caste census at the number one position in its manifesto," he said.

He said that small traders were ruined due to GST and demonetisation and this was done deliberately by the BJP government only to benefit Modi's industrialist friends.

"PM Modi is creating two Indias, one for billionaires and one for the poor. It is an injustice that even a billionaire is paying the same tax as the poorest of the poor in India. So that is why we added the word justice in Bharat Jodo Yatra," he said.