Patna: On Constitution Day, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) organized a program on Sunday where Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav took a stance by emphasizing unemployment and poverty as the nation’s primary adversaries, rather than designating a political rival as the biggest enemy.
Tejashwi pledged to create job opportunities for 5 lakh people within two and a half years.
In his address, Tejashwi criticized PM Narendra Modi’s distribution of what he called “50 thousand sham, fake, and adulterated appointment letters.” He contrasted this with Bihar’s commitment to providing genuine job opportunities, citing the creation of 2 lakh government jobs annually and the introduction of the public health cadre, set to generate 1 lakh 60 thousand jobs. Tejashwi assured that his government would fulfill the promise of 10 lakh jobs by 2025.
Expanding on the theme of economic justice, Tejashwi underscored the importance of the caste census, an initiative his government successfully conducted. He advocated for justice and development for all, stating that the fight against poverty and unemployment should be a collective effort. Tejashwi highlighted the increased reservation limit, now at 75%, as a means of providing more opportunities in education and employment.
“We conducted a caste survey in Bihar, and the figures revealed that there are economically disadvantaged individuals in every caste. To extend rights and entitlements to these individuals, the reservation limit was increased. Initially, 49.5% reservation was allocated to backward, extremely backward, scheduled caste, and scheduled tribe populations. Now, it has been elevated to 65%. Additionally, with the inclusion of a 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS), the overall reservation stands at 75%,” the deputy CM said.
He added: “To safeguard the increased reservation limit from potential alterations, the Bihar Government, through the Cabinet, has proposed to the Central Government to incorporate this 75% reservation system into the Ninth Schedule. The ball is now in their court, and it remains to be seen what action the BJP and the Central Government will take in this matter.”
Tejashwi called for the increased reservation limit to be secured in Schedule 9, recommending this to the Government of India. He criticized the central government’s refusal to accept a 90-10 ratio in central schemes, emphasizing the need for equal partnership.
Senior RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari added historical context, discussing the unfulfilled dream of an independent country. He expressed concern about the country moving towards fascism and emphasized the ongoing struggles of backward and Dalit communities for their rights.
