Reservation on religious grounds: JD(U) denies PM Modi's allegations against Nitish Kumar

 JD-U on Friday denied Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had favoured five per cent reservation on religious grounds in Parliament in August 2005.

JD(U) Rajya Sabha member and national spokesman Pawan Varma said Kumar, the chief ministerial face of the grand secular alliance in Bihar, had said "nothing of the sort" which was said by the prime minister in a rally at Gopalganj during the day. Varma quoted Kumar as telling in Parliament on Supreme Court's order on reservation in private unaided colleges that "Constitution is supreme and Supreme Court can interpret it.

Parliament should initiate steps for taking affirmative action for the uplift of poor, deprived sections especially dalits of all religions." Modi had in Gopalgunj referred to a discussion in Parliament on August 24, 2005 when Nitish Kumar had favoured a five per cent quota on religious lines and dared the Bihar chief minister to reply to his assertion.

RJD national spokesman Manoj Jha dared the prime minister to condemn the statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on reservation review policy before the fourth phase of polling. "The prime minister should also burn a copy of Guru Golwalakar's book 'Bunch of Thoughts' symbolically if he wants to send a message that he cares for the OBC, EBC, SC people," he added.