Bring fresh laws to raise quota to 85 per cent: Tejashwi to Nitish govt

Patna, Nov 26 (PTI) Leader of the opposition in Bihar assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday urged the Nitish Kumar government to bring in fresh bills to provide “85 per cent” quotas to the deprived castes and economically weaker sections.

Speaking in the assembly, the former deputy CM suggested that a committee of the House be set up to conduct a study based on which a fresh bill, with higher quotas for SCs, STs, OBCs and EBCs, be brought.

The RJD leader also stressed that his party has urged the Supreme Court that it be made “one of the parties” opposing the Patna High Court order by which hiked quotas for the deprived castes were set aside.

Yadav alleged a “BJP hand” behind the petitions that had challenged the hiked quotas, which came into force after a comprehensive caste survey confirmed an increase in population, in percentage terms, of the deprived castes, compared with the last caste census held way back in 1931.

The allegation drew a sharp response from Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, both of them from BJP. They reminded Yadav that their party was in power when the government gave its nod for caste survey.

However, the RJD leader stood his ground and expressed bewilderment that the apex court, which insisted that a hike in quotas should have followed recommendations made by a committee set up to study the same, “had not felt a similar need while allowing the 10 per cent reservations for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)”.

Notably, the RJD, which is known for its aggressive pro-OBC stance, was among those parties which had opposed the EWS quota bill when it was brought in Parliament by the Narendra Modi government.

However, Choudhary remarked, “it was unfortunate that the leader of the opposition, who held a constitutional post, was raising questions about the judiciary”.

Yadav pointed out that he was a deputy CM when the quotas were hiked and urged the Speaker to persuade the government to set up a committee of the House.

“Let this committee bring a fresh bill, with an 85 per cent quota for SCs, STs, OBCs, EBCs and EWS combined. Last time we had provided 75 per cent. Let Bihar set a new example,” he said.

Meanwhile, parliamentary affairs minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary rose from his seat stating that a “sensitive” matter had been raised by the leader of the opposition. He pointed out that recruitment and admissions were taking place “with a pre-existing system of reservations”.

He also told the House that the state government could not even make a representation to the Centre for placing the hiked quotas’ laws in the Ninth Schedule “because, after the court order, the legislations have ceased to exist”.

However, Yadav was visibly dissatisfied with the stance of the government and he led the opposition in staging a walkout.

Talking to reporters outside the House, he alleged that the government was “dilly-dallying” and “obsessed with claiming credit” for the caste survey and the now scrapped quota laws.

“But we are not interested in these small things. The Bills which were tabled in 2023, on my birthday, were set aside by the court in less than a year, thanks to the Centre’s lack of interest in protecting the laws by placing these in the Ninth schedule. The ball is now in the court of the Nitish Kumar government in the state. If it agrees to set up a committee of the House which would recommend 85 per cent quotas, we assure full support,” said Yadav.