Congress, BJP spar over OBC politics in Bihar

On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the village of socialist leader and former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur in the poll-bound State, the Congress on Friday said Thakur’s government collapsed in 1979 because the Jan Sangh withdrew support over reservation to Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

“Is it not an acknowledged fact that the Jan Sangh – from which the BJP emerged – brought down Karpoori Thakurji’s Govt in Bihar in April 1979 when the then CM introduced reservation for OBCs? Is it not a fact that Karpoori Thakur ji was subjected to the vilest abuse by RSS and Jan Sangh leaders then?” Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh asked in a post on X.

Mr. Ramesh also said that Mr. Modi, in April last year, described those seeking caste census as “urban naxals”.

“Is it not a fact that he and his trouble-engine sarkar in the State did nothing to provide protection to Bihar’s 65% reservation law for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, and EBCs [extremely backward classes] under the Constitution of India – a protection that the Congress Govt had provided to a similar law in Tamil Nadu in Sept 1994?” Mr. Ramesh said.

Tributes and criticism

Keeping its focus on OBC leaders, the Congress paid homage to former party chief Sitaram Kesri on his 25th death anniversary, inviting criticism from the BJP.

Mr. Gandhi, along with other leaders, paid floral tributes to Kesri at the party’s 24, Akbar Road headquarters.

The All India Congress Committee (AICC) office on Akbar Road is the same place from where Kesri was removed as Congress president by the Congress Working Committee amid high drama. The coup against Kesri had paved the way for Sonia Gandhi to take over the party president in 1998. An OBC leader from Bihar, Kesri served as the Congress chief between 1996 and 1998.

In a post on X, BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: “Time is a true leveller. Once upon a time, at instructions of first family of Congress, Sitaram Kesri was humiliated – his dhoti torn , locked up and heckled to clear the throne of Congress for Sonia Gandhi… Today Rahul pretends to pay respect because Bihar elections are close. Who are they fooling?

The BJP leader also mentioned that the Congress had denied ticket to mountain man Dashrath Manjhi’s son for the upcoming Assembly election.

“Rahul Gandhi has deep hatred for Biharis and OBCs – has he condemned comments of DMK or Revanth Reddy on Biharis ? Has he said a word on Congress calling Bihar as beedi? Did he condemn PM Modi’s mother being abused by Congress, RJD ?” Mr. Poonawala asked.