PATNA — Union Minister and LJP leader Chirag Paswan has responded to the ongoing political fallout surrounding a “purification” ritual held after Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s rally in Uttarakhand, pushing back against Congress criticism while addressing caste discrimination.
Addressing journalists in Patna, the NDA partner highlighted the Union Government’s attention to social equality issues, while sharply questioning the Congress party’s legacy and firmly defending the constitutional basis of Scheduled Caste (SC) reservations.
Summary of Major Remarks & Context
-
Haldwani Incident & Response to Congress:
-
Paswan noted that instances of social discrimination remain a concern for the administration, but argued that Congress’s failure to eradicate such biases during its long tenure in power points to historic policy shortcomings.
-
Background: Following an August 8 rally in Haldwani addressed by Mallikarjun Kharge, local groups performed a ritual at the site. LoP Rahul Gandhi termed the action a form of untouchability, whereas Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami stated no BJP personnel were involved and attributed the act to local religious organizations reacting to slogans at the venue.
-
-
Stance on SC Reservation Policy:
-
Social vs. Economic Criteria: Paswan reiterated that SC reservation was established to address deep-seated social discrimination, asserting that attempting to reframe quotas around economic criteria undermines the intent of the Constitution.
-
Legislative Challenge: He invited those advocating for structural alterations to quota criteria or SC sub-categorisation to present their arguments on the floor of Parliament.
-
Coalition Dynamics: The comments address internal debate among regional allies in Bihar regarding whether sub-categorisation is necessary to distribute quota benefits more evenly across all Scheduled Caste communities.
-
