Patna, Aug 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) The political confrontation over sub‑categorisation within Dalit reservation sharpened in Bihar on Monday, with RJD MP Misa Bharti and BJP minister Lakhendra Paswan stepping up attacks on NDA leaders Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi.
Amid the ongoing exchange between Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, Misa Bharti questioned the credibility of leaders who, she said, had benefited from reserved constituencies while now calling for changes to the reservation framework.
She challenged both leaders to resign from their reserved seats and contest elections from general constituencies if they wished to debate the system. Misa further alleged that NDA allies had become politically dependent on the BJP and were acting under its directions, accusing Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and Upendra Kushwaha of following the same line.
Her remarks come against the backdrop of growing disagreement within the NDA over the future of SC/ST reservations. While Manjhi and his son, Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, have advocated sub‑categorisation and a “quota within a quota” to ensure the most deprived communities receive a greater share of benefits, Chirag Paswan has opposed changes to the existing system and questioned proposals such as the creamy layer.
Meanwhile, Bihar minister and senior BJP leader Lakhendra Paswan also weighed in, posing a pointed question to both Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi. Without directly endorsing either position, he asked how many people from their respective communities, beyond their immediate families, they had actually helped advance.
He said leaders who claim to work for Dalit and Mahadalit communities should explain how many people outside their families had benefited from their efforts. Lakhendra Paswan reiterated what he described as the BJP’s position on reservation, declaring, “If there is BJP, there is reservation.”
His statement comes as reservation emerges as a major political flashpoint within Bihar’s ruling NDA. The public disagreement among alliance partners has brought differences over sub‑categorisation, quota distribution and the broader framework of SC/ST reservation into sharper focus.
With leaders from both the ruling alliance and opposition now weighing in, the debate is increasingly becoming a significant political issue in Bihar, particularly in the context of Dalit and Mahadalit representation.
Source: IANS
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