Bihar Minister Santosh Suman Calls Tejashwi Yadav’s Protest a ‘Drama’
Patna (Bihar) [India], August 31: Bihar Minister Santosh Suman has criticized RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s announcement of a protest on September 1. Suman called the protest a ‘drama’ and questioned Yadav’s commitment to Dalits. He said, “If Tejashwi loves Dalits so much, then why doesn’t he bring any of them forward?”
Tejashwi Yadav defended the protest, stating that it aims to include the findings of the caste survey under Schedule 9. He said, “Our Government had provided 65 per cent reservation for OBC, SC, and ST. We had mentioned including it under Schedule 9. The matter is sub-judice. We knew that the BJP didn’t want it. It wanted to end the reservation, so it didn’t include it in Schedule 9.”
The protest follows the Patna High Court’s decision in June to set aside the Bihar Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Act, 2023, and The Bihar (In admission in Educational Institutions) Reservation (Amendment) Act, 2023. The court found these amendments, which increased reservations from 50% to 65%, to be ultra vires and violative of equality clauses under Articles 14, 15, and 16.
The Bihar legislature had amended both Acts in 2023, increasing the quota for SC to 20%, Scheduled Tribes to 2%, Extremely Backward Classes to 25%, and Backward Class to 18%, based on the findings of the caste survey.
Doubts Revealed
Bihar Minister -: A Bihar Minister is a person who helps run the state of Bihar, which is a part of India. They make important decisions for the people living there.
Santosh Suman -: Santosh Suman is the name of the Bihar Minister who is talking about the protest.
Tejashwi Yadav -: Tejashwi Yadav is a leader from a political party called RJD (Rashtriya Janata Dal) in Bihar. He is planning a protest.
Protest -: A protest is when people gather to show they are unhappy about something and want it to change.
Drama -: In this context, ‘drama’ means that Santosh Suman thinks the protest is just for show and not serious.
Dalits -: Dalits are people in India who belong to the lowest caste in the traditional social hierarchy. They have faced discrimination for a long time.
Caste survey -: A caste survey is a study to find out how many people belong to different castes in a place. It helps in making decisions about reservations.
Schedule 9 -: Schedule 9 is a part of the Indian Constitution that protects certain laws from being challenged in court.
Patna High Court -: The Patna High Court is a big court in Bihar that makes important legal decisions.
Reservations -: Reservations are special spots saved for certain groups of people in jobs and education to help them get better opportunities.
