Patna, June 2 (IANS) Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) President and Bihar Minister Santosh Suman has launched a political attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal-Congress alliance, saying that their repeated neglect of Dalits, backward and extremely backward communities will lead to their downfall in the state.
He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming visit to Bihar on June 6, his fifth visit in five months, is proof of the growing nervousness in the Grand Alliance as the support base among marginalised communities is minimal.
Minister Suman alleged that the RJD-Congress only remembers Dalits and Backward communities during elections.
He pointed to the 23-year delay in conducting panchayat elections in Bihar under the RJD-Congress regime and the absence of reservation for Extremely Backward Classes even when elections were held in 2001.
“Thousands of extremely backward people were deprived of becoming public representatives because of this,” he claimed.
Taking aim at the Congress, Minister Suman said that despite its rhetoric, the party has consistently tried to undermine the rights of backward communities.
He referred to a controversial statement allegedly made by Rahul Gandhi during a visit to the US, suggesting that a future Congress government might end the current reservation system.
He also accused the Congress of diverting reservation meant for the Dalits and Other Backward Classes to religious minorities, saying that such actions reflect a disregard for constitutional provisions and social justice.
Minister Suman urged voters from the Dalit, backward, and extremely backward communities to remain vigilant and not fall for false promises of parties that have historically failed to support them.
“The people of Bihar have not forgotten the era of terror, fear, and humiliation during the RJD-Congress rule. The time has come for them to reject this alliance outright,” he said.
In contrast to Minister Suman’s current stance, the Grand Alliance leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav advocated for the caste-based census in the country.
Under the Grand Alliance government, the caste-based survey was conducted in Bihar and based on its findings the reservation was also increased to 65 per cent.
RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, in particular demanded that the Centre should put the 65 per cent reservation in the ninth schedule of the Constitution.
–IANS
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