Rahul Gandhi says 10% control Army; Defence minister accuses him of politicising forces

Rahul Gandhi told a campaign rally in Bihar that roughly 10% of the country’s population controls key institutions, including the armed forces and judiciary, while the remaining 90% — comprising backward classes, Dalits, scheduled tribes and minorities — remain underrepresented. The remark came during an election campaign event in Kutumba and immediately triggered criticism from opponents and senior government ministers.

A detailed listing of institutions followed the initial claim, with the leader of the opposition citing the Army, judiciary, bureaucracy and corporate boards as areas dominated by a small portion of society. Calls for a caste census and for greater representation in public institutions accompanied the speech, as the speaker sought to highlight structural inequality in political and civic life.

Defence minister’s sharp rebuttal

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused the opposition leader of dragging the armed forces into partisan politics and warned against attempts to sow division within military ranks. Mr Singh said at public events in Bihar that such comments risked creating unrest and must be avoided, urging political leaders to respect the apolitical character of the services.

A terse demand for restraint formed the core of the minister’s response, with his remark that the armed forces have a single creed of service to the nation rather than any caste or religion. The minister suggested that proposals for reservations in defence services would, if pursued, foment disorder and undermine operational cohesion, framing such measures as tantamount to an attempt to “create anarchy”.

Political fallout and positions

The ruling party and allied organisations branded the opposition leader’s remark as irresponsible and unbecoming of a national parliamentarian, portraying it as an attempt to polarise voters days before polling in parts of Bihar. Counterstatements from several ministers and party spokespeople emphasised the Army’s professionalism and warned that politicising the institution would be unacceptable.

The Congress defended the speech as an effort to call attention to long-standing social imbalances and said the point was to press for broader representation across state institutions. Party sources reiterated demands for a caste census and argued that public discussion about institutional diversity formed part of routine democratic debate rather than an assault on national institutions.

Voting context and immediate consequences

Election officials and security planners were reported to be monitoring the situation closely for any signs of unrest in polling areas scheduled to vote in the coming days. Local administrations intensified liaison with security units to ensure that campaigning remained peaceful and that the armed forces were not drawn into electoral disputes or public demonstrations.

Several national media outlets carried video excerpts and full recordings of the rally, making the exchange between the opposition leader and government ministers a central theme of the day’s political coverage. Social media timelines saw rapid circulation of the quoted line — “10% control the Army” — and produced immediate reactions from politicians across the spectrum.

A note on quotations and sourcing. Direct quotations in this report reproduce the words spoken by the principal participants at public rallies and events. Remaining material in this account draws on contemporaneous reporting and public statements made by political actors to provide a single, consolidated narrative suitable for publication.