RSS, BJP Want To Scrap Quota For Dalits And OBCs: Nitish Kumar

Patna: Branding Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's statement of forming a non-political committee on reservation as "extra constitutional", Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said the RSS and BJP wanted to scrap reservations for Dalits and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

"RSS chief had earlier also made suggestion during Bihar Assembly elections that there should be a committee to review the reservation policy. But the Constitution clearly says that reservation would be given to people who are socially and educationally backward and on that basis Dalits and bakcwards have got reservation...Now RSS chief is talking something which is 'extra constitutional'," Mr Kumar said while talking to mediapersons after cabinet meeting.

"Central government's main ideology is the same as that of RSS. They (RSS and BJP) are unhappy with the reservation being given to Dalits and Backwards...They want to scrap the reservation," Mr Kumar said.

The RSS chief had yesterday suggested that a non-political committee should be formed to decide on the eligibility for reservation.

Mr Bhagwat said a person not getting opportunity only because of his birth in a particular caste should not happen. His comments had come in the backdrop of the Centre announcing the setting up of a committee under Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu to examine the quota demand by the Jat community in government jobs.

Mr Bhagwat's statement to review reservation policy, political analysts said, had adversely affected BJP's chances to grab power in Bihar.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and Mr Kumar had put the RSS chief's statement in the foreground of their electoral campaign during assembly elections and reaped benefits clinching three-fourth majority.

On the Jat community's stir for quota, Mr Kumar held Central government responsible for taking delayed steps to end the logjam.

"Central government is responsbile for whatever happened during the quota stir (by Jats)....The government should have acted much earlier," he said.

The situation arose because they (BJP leaders) promised to give quota to Jats during assembly elections but later the government retracted from their promise, Mr Kumar said, adding that "This is completely their (BJP government's) fault. Why did they promise if they did not want to give quota to them."

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)