Nitish-Lalu together sought religion-based quotas in 2005: Modi

Says they don't have any issues in the election and that's why they are raising the bogey of scrapping of the reservation

Don't want to miss the best from Business Standard?

Fuelling further the bitter quota debate in Bihar polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused his rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad of having come together in July 2005 to demand a review of the policy to provide for religion-based reservation.

He also asserted that no political party in the country had the power to "take away and undo" reservation guaranteed to the weaker sections in the Constitution by B R Ambedkar.

"On July 23/24, 2005, when these two leaders were arch rivals and did not even see eye to eye, they had come together to demand a review of the reservation policy on religious basis, something the Constitution makers like Babasaheb Ambedkar, Rajendra babu, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel had firmly rejected.

"...These people don't have any issues in the election and that's why they are raising the bogey of scrapping of the reservation every day which is totally false. No political party in the country has the power to take away or undo the reservation guaranteed to the weaker sections by Ambedkar in the Constitution," he said, addressing an election rally in Katihar.

Holding the promise of development, Modi while addressing poll rallies for the last phase of Bihar polls, launched a fresh attack on Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar, saying 'jungle raj' now has a twin brother in 'jantar-mantar' (black magic) and together the two will "spell doom" for the state.

Praising the people of the state, he said, "Bihar stands for brilliant, innovative, hardworking, action-oriented and resourceful" and voiced hope that the youth and women will help usher in change.

Training his guns on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, Modi said, "Today, when they have been caught (for purportedly having sought religion-based quotas), they are getting agitated and throwing at us the colour of communalism."

He once again attacked Nitish Kumar for his meeting with an occultist, saying, "People who practise black magic will not help you win elections. Only democracy has that power and not 'mantra-tantra'."

In a jibe at Nitish after his video with a 'tantrik' went viral on social media, Modi alleged at another poll rally in Madhubani that the Bihar Chief Minister was taking recourse to "black magic as he does not believe in democracy".

"Bihar has suffered the brunt of 'Jungle Raj'...'Jungle Raj' now has a twin brother in 'jantar-mantar'. Don't let 'Jungle Raj' and 'jantar-mantar' come together, otherwise this combination will only spell doom for Bihar and its people," he said.

He also said the current election was for building the future of Bihar and those who have ruined the state over the years need to be taught an "exemplary lesson".