New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the concerned respondents in response to a petition filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), challenging the Patna High Court’s stay on the Bihar government’s move to increase the scope of reservation to 65%. The RJD filed the petition after the Patna High Court halted the implementation of the reservation expansion, which was introduced following the caste census in Bihar.
The Bihar government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, had raised the reservation quota to 65% in an effort to provide more opportunities to backward classes, Dalits, and other marginalized communities. However, the move faced legal challenges, resulting in the High Court’s intervention.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav expressed the party’s dissatisfaction with the Bihar Chief Minister’s stance on the issue. “The Chief Minister, with only 43 seats, is sitting in the lap of the RSS and pampering the BJP, but remains silent on the issue of reservation,” Yadav said in a statement. He emphasized that the RJD has consistently fought for the rights of Dalits, backward communities, the oppressed, and tribals, both in the courts and on the streets.
According to Yadav, RJD remains committed to protecting the rights of marginalized groups, and will not allow their reservations to be compromised. “Tejashwi Yadav stands for safeguarding reservation and ensuring the caste survey is conducted. Tejashwi means employment and progress,” he added, underscoring the Deputy Chief Minister’s efforts to champion social justice.
The Supreme Court has tagged RJD’s petition along with other similar cases regarding reservation policies, and the matter will be heard collectively. This development marks another chapter in the ongoing debate over caste-based reservations in Bihar, which has become a contentious issue in the state’s political landscape.
The RJD hopes that the Supreme Court’s involvement will lead to a favorable outcome for the party and the communities it represents, as they continue to push for expanded reservation and social equity in the state.
