NEW DELHI: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday, slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleging that the PM wants to end reservation and has rejected the RJD’s call for a caste census.”Name one BJP-ruling state where there is 75% of reservation. In Bihar, people are aware of the politics. You cannot fool the people here. PM Modi tried to end the reservation,” Tejashwi said.Tejashwi further said that his party is committed to social justice and has provided 75% reservation in Bihar.”We conducted the caste census and gave 75% reservation in Bihar. Name one BJP-ruling state where there is 75% of reservation. In Bihar, people are aware of the politics. You cannot fool the people here,” he said.Moreover, Tejashwi accused Modi of consistently opposing reservation initiatives, citing instances where the Prime Minister allegedly resisted recommendations such as those put forth by the Mandal Commission. The RJD leader said, “PM Modi, along with Lal Krishna Advani, opposed the Mandal Commission. It is in his veins to oppose the reservations”.Earlier, INDIA bloc partner and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also emphasised that the Congress party, is committed to conducting a caste census to promote equality and fairness in the country.”As soon as our government is formed, the first thing that would be done is a caste census,” he said.”For 10 years Modi said he is an OBC but as soon as I talked about caste census, he said ‘there are no castes’. If there are no castes how are you an OBC. Then you should have said I have no caste. He then says there are two castes rich and poor, if you say so, I say take out the list of poor and you will get Dalit, adivasis, backwards,” Gandhi had said in April.(With inputs from agencies)
