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Facing flak for allegedly attempting to tinker with the reservation policy under directions from the RSS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused Bihar’s Grand Alliance of plotting to take away five per cent share in reservations for SC, ST and OBCs and give it to “a particular community”, a move he vowed to oppose.
“The leaders of this ‘Mahaswarth’ (opportunistic) alliance are trying to mislead the people on the issue of reservation ... It is clear through the discussion of our Constitution makers that reservation cannot be given on the basis of religion. The Supreme Court has said reservation cannot be more than 50 per cent. There is a cap.”
“These leaders are making a devious plan. They are conspiring to take away 5 per cent reservation of Dalits, Mahadalits, backwards and extremely backwards and give it to a particular community. I come from an extremely backward class and understand the pain of having been born to a poor woman. I will not allow this to happen. I pledge to protect the rights of Dalits, Mahadalits and backwards,” he said addressing an election rally in Buxar. Modi attacked alliance leaders Nitish Kumar, Lalu Prasad and Sonia Gandhi for trying to “mislead” the people on the issue of reservation. If the anti-BJP alliance is voted to power ‘Jungle Raj’ will return and crimes like kidnappings and atrocities on women will rise, he warned.
Modi also attacked Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad for not acting against the corrupt and cited recent examples where their MLAs and candidates were allegedly found taking bribe and “fixing deals”.
‘Why silence on corruption?’
On corruption, he said a JD(U) MLA and a candidate of Lalu Prasad’s RJD had been caught red-handed taking bribe, but no action was taken against them.
“I want to ask these people, why are they silent on the issue of corruption after they were caught on camera taking bribe. Even before the polls, they are selling away Bihar and striking deals.” Hitting out at the RJD, he said, “For them taking money is no big thing.”
The Prime Minister, while urging people to vote for the BJP-led NDA alliance, said: “We have to end this game (corruption) from Bihar and that is why I have come here to ask you for the victory of BJP and its allies.”
Insisting that development should top the agenda in the Bihar polls, Modi said, if voted to power, the NDA will ensure that Bihar progresses and moves forward.
Describing the ongoing elections as a “festival of change”, Modi said: “I can see a change coming...November 8 (the day of counting) will mark the end of the 25 years of misrule in Bihar,” he said.
Nitish’s PCs, Lalu’s virus
Taking a dig at Nitish Kumar for his promise of providing computers to the youth, Modi wondered how the machines would work in the absence of electricity. Moreover, he said the computers have contracted the “Lalu virus” resulting in “lawlessness”, with crimes like atrocities on women and kidnappings on the rise.
“Your (Nitish’s) computers have ‘Lalu virus’ which is venting out ‘Jungle Raj’, crime, atrocities on women and kindappings. That is why Bihar’s youth do not want this Lalu virus-hit computers as they do not want lawlessness and crime to rise,” he said.
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