Paswan vs Manjhi: SC 'creamy layer' debate divides NDA; will it open Pandora's box?
A political rift has emerged within the NDA coalition in Bihar between Dalit leaders Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan regarding SC/ST reservation policies. The debate centers on whether to introduce a 'creamy layer' sub-quota for the most marginalized sections of the Dalit community.
Why it matters
This internal conflict poses a significant political challenge for the BJP-led government, potentially impacting its support base among Dalit voters.
NEW DELHI: Could the open sparring over “quota within quota” between two prominent Dalit faces of Bihar last month open up a Pandora’s box for the BJP-led NDA government? Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan engaged in an open war of words last week over a separate sub-category for the most deprived Dalit sections.Manjhi hails from the Musahar community and wants a sub-quota for the marginalised SC communities. Manjhi’s son Santosh Kumar Suman, who is the Bihar minor water resources minister, has demanded a review of the country’s reservation policy to assess which sections have benefited and which have remained deprived even after 79 years of independence.
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