Union Minister Kiren Rijiju launched a strong rebuttal against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, following Gandhi's remarks about the Miss India beauty pageant lacking representation from Dalit, Tribal, and OBC women. Rijiju criticized Gandhi for suggesting reservations in beauty pageants, films, and sports, calling the demand a display of "childish mentality" and accusing Gandhi's supporters of contributing to divisive politics.

Gandhi had earlier expressed frustration that the Miss India pageant did not feature women from Dalit, Tribal, or OBC communities, emphasizing the need for a nationwide caste census. He argued that a caste census is essential for creating effective policies and criticized the media for focusing on entertainment rather than issues affecting farmers and laborers.

In response, Rijiju accused Gandhi of using divisive tactics to undermine marginalized communities and dismissed his approach as frivolous. Rijiju’s comments reflect ongoing tensions between the ruling BJP and the Congress over caste representation and census issues.

The debate over the caste census has intensified, with Congress promising a nationwide socio-economic census if elected, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticized the proposal, suggesting it could lead to the redistribution of wealth in ways that he argues would benefit certain groups disproportionately.