Nitish attacks BJP, RSS over reservation issue, accuses them of playing divisive politics

Patna: Days after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat called for a review of the existing reservation system, Bihar Nitish Kumar on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of “trying to play divisive politics”.

Targeting the RSS chief over his statement, the Bihar Chief Minister said, “Bhagwat’s comment on reservation clearly shows he thinks the present status of the reservation policy is not right.”

Hitting out at BJP and RSS, he accused them of being against reservations and said the RSS, which was the ideological mentor of BJP, was seeking to install an "extra-constitutional" body to review reservations.

"Any amendment in Constitution can be done in Parliament. They want some body other than the Constitution, an extra-constitutional authority, which should look into who should get reservation and how long.

"Not in the Constitution or in Parliament but in the hands of the elite committee. It is a very dangerous view. It cannot be accepted," he said.

Questioning BJP's stand on reservation, he said whatever the ruling party may say it cannot go against the views of the RSS.

"The BJP has a government at the Centre, which has repeatedly claimed that they are proud to be Swayamsevaks. "RSS view is final. Whatever BJP might say, it has no meaning. Like anything is decided by the Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, it is final and there is nothing after that. The same way in RSS, if RSS chief says something then BJP has no say.

"The BJP is a political outfit of RSS and Swayamsevaks and pracharaks are part of this government. Whatever Bhagwat has said is final and there is no other thought," he said, charging the BJP with being against reservations.

The Bihar chief minister said development will be the main poll plank of the alliance and took a dig at the NDA coalition where differences among alliance partners were out in the open.

"It is an internal matter of BJP and we have nothing to say on this. People are watching BJP's politics and will give a reply," he said.

(With PTI Inputs)