Patna, June 10 (IANS) Rasjtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Rajya Sabha MP, Manoj Kumar Jha, has launched a scathing attack on the Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government and the BJP-led Central government, accusing them of being apathetic towards the issues of reservation, caste census and social justice.

Addressing the media here on Monday, Jha said that the Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav had written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on June 4, demanding a special session of the Bihar Assembly to discuss extending the 65% reservation limit and safeguarding the rights of backward classes, Dalits, and tribal.

“Even after a week, there is no acknowledgment or response. Has the letter even reached the Chief Minister or has it been deliberately ignored?” the RJD leader asked.

He alleged that it has become a trend in Bihar to not respond to important communication on matters of public interest, especially concerning reservation.

Jha accused the Bihar government of dishonesty and evasion, saying: “The government wants to quietly reduce the rights of the Bahujan population by capping the reservation and not holding discussions. This shows its true intentions.”

He further linked this issue to the Centre’s actions post the Pahalgam incident, claiming: “After Pahalgam, PM Modi suddenly remembered the caste census under pressure from the Bahujan movement. But the BJP’s character remains anti-reservation and anti-social justice.”

Jha also raised concerns over the caste census, demanding the release of population data of OBCs, which he said is necessary under Article 340 of the Constitution.

“What’s the point of counting castes if their numbers are not made public? How will policies for reservation in the private sector or planning by NITI Aayog be formulated without actual data?” he asked.

He accused the BJP government of deliberate obfuscation.

“The BJP doesn’t want to empower the Backward and Most Backward Classes. Their opposition to releasing caste data proves it,” he said.

Jha added that not just RJD, but Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK and other INDIA bloc parties were united in their demand for full disclosure of caste census data, expansion of reservation limits and reservation in the private sector based on real data.

“Lalu Prasad has long warned that those following Guru Golwalkar’s ideology will never uphold the values of social justice. That is now evident in the BJP’s policy direction,” he said.

–IANS

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