Bhagwat's quota review comment: Lalu, Nitish refuse to buy BJP's defence

Patna: Rubbishing BJP's claim of distancing itself from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat suggestion for review of reservation, Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad on Monday said this was only done to "contain the damage" in Bihar polls as the ruling party does not have the "guts" to go against RSS.

"BJP is mask of RSS...They do not have guts to go against RSS," RJD President Lalu Prasad said while speaking at a function of a national private TV channel here.

Prasad said BJP was putting a defence against the RSS chief's suggestion on reservation "to contain the damage in the Bihar polls... But nobody is buying their defence because it's well known that BJP is merely mask of RSS."

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also made a scathing attack on the BJP and RSS over the issue and dared the NDA government to withdraw the reservation for deprived castes.

"BJP is a political organisation of RSS. The ideology of RSS is the ideology of BJP. This was evident from the fact that Prime Minister and other ministers participated in the three-day RSS programme in Delhi recently... RSS chief reflects the thought of BJP," Kumar, who is prominent leader of JD(U) said.

Both Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar spoke in favour of reservation which was ensured under constitutional provisions and appealed to OBC, SC, ST community to come out and thwart the designs of RSS and BJP.

"If the section getting reservation wastes even one vote in favour of such people it would mean they are axing their own leg," Kumar told reporters emerging from the programme.

Prasad termed BJP and RSS as "anti-backward", saying this was reflected through Bhagwat's suggestion.

The RJD President refused to buy the comments of Union minister Ravishankar Prasad on RSS chief reservation comment.

"If it is so let Mohan Bhagwat speak about it?" the RJD chief questioned.

Taking potshots, Kumar said, "earlier BJP was projecting Narendra Modi as the first OBC Prime Minister of the country and now the RSS chief is seeking review of reservation."

Kumar, who himself hailed from OBC Kurmi caste, said "reservation has been provided by Constitution and nobody could dare to repeal it."

The RJD chief said Bhagwat made the comment to attract upper castes towards BJP in Bihar polls. "But, this will rather harm their prospects in the elections."

Prasad had yesterday dared PM with "If you have drunk your mother's milk (mai ka doodh), then have it (reservation) scrapped", said.

Today he said, "you have put your fingers in the hole of Ajgar (python snake) and be prepared for the worse."

BJP had distanced itself from Bhagwat's remarks by insisting that it respected 100 per cent the reservation rights of SCs, STs and other backward castes as it was essential for their social and economic development and empowerment.