RJD Stages Protests Across Bihar Demanding Caste Census and Reservation Reforms

Aditya Raj

Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is holding protests in all 38 districts of Bihar today, intensifying its call for a caste census and the expansion of reservation quotas. The party’s leader, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, is set to lead the charge at the demonstration outside the RJD office in Patna.

In the lead-up to the protest, RJD state president Jagadanand Singh convened a strategic meeting with senior party officials, divisional in-charges, and general secretaries. The gathering was aimed at fine-tuning preparations and issuing directives to ensure the success of the day’s events.

Tejashwi, alongside Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had previously met with the Prime Minister as part of an all-party delegation to press for a nationwide caste census. However, the Central government has so far resisted these calls, rejecting the proposal outright.

During his 17-month tenure in government, Tejashwi spearheaded a caste survey in Bihar, which led to a significant expansion of reservation quotas for Dalits, backward classes, and extremely backward classes, raising the total to 65 percent. An additional 10 percent reservation was also earmarked for economically weaker sections among the general category. However, these measures faced legal challenges, with the courts staying the state government’s orders, allegedly at the behest of the BJP.

Jagadanand Singh criticized the state government’s handling of the issue, attributing the court’s stay to what he described as the government’s “negative attitude” and mishandling of the case. He asserted that if these provisions were incorporated into the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, the legal hurdles could be overcome.

The RJD’s protests are being staged at district headquarters across Bihar, with Tejashwi and Jagadanand leading the demonstration in Patna. Party spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan confirmed that other RJD leaders would be spearheading similar protests in their respective districts.

During these dharnas, the party plans to submit memorandums to the President via district magistrates, reiterating their demand for a national caste census and the constitutional protection of Bihar’s revised reservation system.