Patna:
Launching a scathing attack on Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) patriarch Lalu Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said an ally of INDIA is talking about giving “full reservation” to Muslims and robbing people from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the OBC -community.
The Prime Minister, addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar, called Mr Prasad a leader “who ate food meant for animals” – a swipe at the RJD leader's conviction in a feed scam case. “The Congress is silent, but one of its allies today confirmed the intentions of the INDI alliance. One of their leaders, who was caught in a feed scam (case) and punished by the court. See his shamelessness. He has been released on bail for health reasons, if someone in your village ends up in jail, people stay away.
“He (Prasad) says Muslims should be given reservation, not just reservation, he says Muslims should be given full reservation. What does this mean? This means that they want to take reservation from SC, ST and OBC communities and give it to Muslims. ,” he added.
The Prime Minister's comments are part of the BJP's major accusation against the Congress, accusing the main opposition party of planning to take reservation benefits from backward communities and give them to the Muslims. The Congress has denied such a plan and accused the ruling party of trying to create distractions during the elections.
Adding to the row, Mr Prasad yesterday said he was in favor of extending reservation benefits to Muslims. He also alleged that the BJP wants to do away with reservations. “The BJP is against making reservations in the Constitution. That is why she wants to abolish both,” he said yesterday.
On the BJP's accusation that the Congress, RJD and other allies, if voted to power, would “steal” reservations meant for OBCs and divert them to Muslims, the ailing leader said, “Muslims should get reservations get, pura.'
The BJP responded that Prasad's statement was “very serious”. “Lalu Prasad Yadav said that Muslims should be given full reservation. This word, 'pura ka pura' (complete), which he uses in his statement, is very serious. This makes it clear that they (INDIA) want to provide reservation to Muslims in the share of SCs, STs and OBCs,” BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told the media.
Amid the BJP's allegations, Mr Prasad today issued a fresh statement, stressing that the basis of reservation is not religion but social backwardness. “The Prime Minister does not understand this. We have implemented the recommendations of the Mandal Commission. Has Narendra Modi ever read them? The Mandal Commission recommendations provide reservations to more than 3,500 backward castes, which may include other religions.”
Referring to the BJP, he said, “They are not a bigger and truer OBC than me, are they? They don't understand the poor, the left behind and the Dalits better than I do. They just make them fight.” The RJD patriarch alleged a long-standing conspiracy by RSS and the BJP to finalize reservations and the Constitution. “In 2000, the NDA government had even constituted a Constitution Review Committee. They don't follow the constitution. If they did, they would not be using divisive language to spread hate,” he said.