RJD Legislators Demonstrate Outside Bihar Assembly for 65% Reservation
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Synopsis
On March 25, 2023, RJD and Left party legislators protested outside the Bihar Assembly, demanding a 65% reservation based on a caste-based survey. They criticized the NDA government for delaying the implementation and urged its inclusion in the Ninth Schedule to protect it from judicial review.
Key Takeaways
- RJD and Left MLAs protested for caste-based reservation.
- Demand for 65% reservation based on a prior survey.
- Call for inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.
- Criticism of NDA government for inaction.
- Reservation policies should reflect Bihar's demographics.
Patna, March 25 (NationPress) Members of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) along with representatives from Left parties gathered for a protest outside the Bihar Assembly on Tuesday, demanding the enforcement of 65 percent reservation grounded in a caste-based survey carried out by the previous Grand Alliance government.
During the demonstration, RJD MLAs donned green T-shirts emblazoned with slogans championing the increased reservation and called for its incorporation into the Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution to protect it from judicial review.
The protest commenced prior to the House proceedings, with RJD and Left lawmakers vocally expressing their concerns with chants like “Arakshan Chor NDA government” while advocating for their demands.
Under the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan) administration, a caste-based survey suggested increasing reservations in employment and education from 49 percent to 65 percent, which includes an extra 10 percent allocation for economically weaker sections within upper castes. However, this increased reservation has yet to be included in the Ninth Schedule.
Opposition leaders contend that, absent this safeguard, the reservation policy is susceptible to legal challenges. They have accused the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government of hindering progress despite having the authority to advance it.
Mukesh Roshan, RJD MLA from the Mahua constituency, criticized the NDA government for leveraging the judiciary as a pretext to evade implementing the heightened reservation.
"The Grand Alliance government executed the caste-based survey and elevated the reservation to 65 percent, but the NDA government is now concealing behind court rulings. This is a double-engine government -- they possess the capacity to enforce the reservation and position it under the Ninth Schedule to shield it from judicial scrutiny," Roshan remarked.
Fateh Bahadur, another RJD MLA, insisted that reservations should correspond with the demographic realities of Bihar.
"As per the caste-based survey, Dalits, Mahadalits, backward castes, minorities, and extremely backward castes account for 90 percent of Bihar's population. Reservation policies must mirror this demographic composition," Singh conveyed to IANS.
In response, the NDA government has defended its stance, asserting that it is currently engaged in reservation reforms and will address the issue in the Assembly.
With the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections on the horizon, caste-based reservation has emerged as a significant political issue. The RJD is leveraging this matter to consolidate backing among backward classes and counter Nitish Kumar's voter base.
