Tejashwi Yadav Ticks Off RJD MLA For Attack On Party MP Manoj Jha

Jumping to the defence of MP Manoj Jha, who has been criticised by his own party MLA as well as the BJP for a poem on 'Thakurs' that he recited in parliament, senior Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav has said that it was a comment on social inequality and not related to any caste. 

He has also ticked off the MLA, Chetan Anand, who spoke against Mr Jha, and said that all problems should be brought up in party forums and not in public. 

During a discussion on the Women's Reservation Bill - which has now become law - Mr Jha, who is an RJD Rajya Sabha MP, had made a strong, emotional pitch for ensuring that women from SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) get adequate representation in parliament and state legislatures. The Bill, tabled by the BJP during the special session, had a provision for a 'quota within the quota' for SC and ST women, but not for OBCs.

During his speech, Mr Jha read out a poem by Omprakash Valmiki, titled 'Thakur Ka Kuan', which speaks of caste inequality and how the means of production are owned by one group of people. 

The poem was, however, interpreted by RJD MLA Chetan Anand and his father - gangster-turned-politician Anand Mohan - as an attack on Thakurs, who are upper-caste Rajputs. 

In a post on X, formerly Twitter on Tuesday, Chetan Anand said, "We are Thakurs. We take everyone along. Targeting any caste in socialism is nothing but hypocrisy in the name of socialism! We cannot hear anything wrong that is said about others and we will not tolerate indecent comments made about us (Thakurs)."

Asked about the controversy, Tejashwi Yadav, who is also the Bihar deputy chief minister, said in Hindi that if anyone in the RJD has a problem with something, they should raise it in a party forum and not just tweet about it. 

"Manoj Jha is a professor at Delhi University and has also won the 'Best Parliamentarian' award. He was speaking on the Women's Reservation Bill and on ensuring that OBC women and minority women also get proper representation. He recited Omprakash Valmiki's poem in that context. Even today, only a few people are running the country and are selling off its properties," said Mr Yadav.

"Most of the land is also owned by a few people. We are socialists. The recitation of the poem was not aimed at hurting the sentiments of one community but to emphasise the need to ensure equality in society. Now people from the BJP are attacking us. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri used communal, objectionable words in parliament but no action has been taken against him," he added.

Mr Yadav said the RJD has more Rajput MLAs and MLCs than the BJP and that his party takes everyone along. 

In a reference to some BJP functionaries, the deputy chief minister said, "People are threatening to cut off Mr Jha's tongue and attack him. We would not tolerate anyone from our party saying things like this against the BJP."

RJD chief Lalu Yadav had also defended Mr Jha on Thursday and said that Chetan Anand and his father are stoking the controversy for their personal gain.

"Those people who are making noise about Manoj Jha's statement are trying to galvanise the support of members of their caste. They ought to refrain from doing so," news agency PTI had  quoted Lalu Yadav as saying

On Chetan Anand and his father accusing Mr Jha of "Brahmin chauvinism", the RJD chief had quipped "what to do when they have so little intelligence".