Union ministers Chirag Paswan and Jitan Ram Manjhi have publicly clashed over the issue of a separate sub-category within the Scheduled Caste (SC) quota, exposing differences between two NDA allies in Bihar.
The dispute began after Manjhi and his son, Bihar minister Santosh Kumar Suman, backed the idea of a sub-quota for the most disadvantaged sections among Dalits. Chirag Paswan, chief of the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), opposed the proposal, arguing that such a move could create divisions within the Dalit community.
Paswan said those supporting the idea should instead support the concept of a creamy layer and demanded that they give up their ministerial positions. His position is consistent with that of his late father, Ram Vilas Paswan, who had opposed the creation of a separate “Mahadalit” category in Bihar more than a decade ago.
Manjhi, who belongs to the Musahar community, strongly rejected Chirag Paswan’s criticism. He argued that some Dalit communities remain significantly more vulnerable than others and therefore require targeted welfare measures.
Responding to Paswan, Manjhi said it was Chirag who should resign for failing to understand the broader argument being made in favour of the most deprived sections of the Dalit community.
Manjhi maintained that a quota within the existing reservation system is completely different from introducing a creamy layer. He argued that communities such as Musahar, Bhuiya, Nat and Dom continue to face discrimination even within the Scheduled Caste category.
Santosh Kumar Suman also entered the debate, saying that if Chirag Paswan wanted to take the lead because his party had greater political strength, he was prepared to resign alongside him. However, Suman made it clear that he was not opposing reservations or demanding the introduction of a creamy layer.
The controversy has prompted another NDA ally, the Janata Dal (United), to call for restraint. Bihar minister and JD(U) legislature party leader Shrawon Kumar said reservations were provided under the Constitution and there should be no dispute over the quota system.
Despite their differences over Dalit sub-categorisation, Paswan and Manjhi appeared united while responding to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's criticism over an alleged temple “purification” controversy involving Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The latest disagreement highlights the differing positions among Bihar's NDA partners on how reservation benefits should reach the most disadvantaged sections of the Dalit community.
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