Two Union Ministers Clash Over Quota Policy, Demand Each Other's Resignation
· India · Times of India, NDTV
Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi, both part of the BJP-led NDA coalition, publicly sparred on Saturday over reservation policy and demanded each other's resignation. The row was triggered by remarks from Manjhi's son, Santosh Kumar Suman, who called for a review of quota policy and backed sub-categorisation of SC and ST reservations, noting that no DM or SP has come from the Musahar community despite its 4% population in Bihar. Paswan, the Union minister of food processing industries, hit back saying that if Manjhi and his son support a 'creamy layer' concept within SC reservation, both should resign first since Manjhi himself would fall under that category. Paswan argued that reservation is based on social factors like untouchability and cannot be assessed purely through an economic lens. Later, Manjhi accused Paswan of not caring about poor people, warning that people would be deprived of reservation benefits, though the article text ends mid-sentence without his fu
Why it matters
The public clash between two NDA allies exposes sharp internal disagreement on a politically sensitive reservation issue — sub-categorisation of SC/ST quotas and the proposed 'creamy layer' within Dalit reservations — and comes as Bihar's NDA coalition manages multiple Dalit and OBC partners ahead of state elections.
Read the original report — Times of India
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