Patna: Calling on people to rise above caste equations, Union minister and LJP(Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan on Sunday termed this system the biggest reason for Bihar “lagging behind even after eight decades of independence”.
“Elections will be announced in the coming days. We should ask why Bihar hasn’t become a developed state even after eight decades of independence? We must understand that the caste system is the biggest reason for this. Biharis are divided. We need to unite,” he said.
Paswan was addressing Nav Sankalp Mahasabha, organised by his party at Rangbhoomi Maidan in Purnia, where he paid tributes to the state’s first Dalit chief minister, Bhola Paswan Shastri, on his birth anniversary.
The Union minister accused the opposition RJD of dividing people along the lines of caste, religion and sect for the sake of votes. “They have MY (Muslim-Yadav) equation. We also have a MY equation of mahila (women) and youth,” he said, adding he can give a developed Bihar with the support of the people, even as the opposition parties “attempted to assassinate me politically”.
Without naming RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, he went on to say there are leaders who believe that if the people of Bihar become educated, they will ask questions. “They themselves are not educated. That is why they want the people of Bihar to not get educated. I am not worried about myself. I am worried about you and your future,” Paswan said.
The Union minister added Bihar’s youth hold high positions in other states as well as countries. “Biharis are ahead in every field and can be found in high positions everywhere — in business, media, corporate and administrative services. So, when Biharis are so ahead, why has my Bihar lagged behind? This needs to be addressed and changed,” he said.
Among those who attended the event included in charge of LJP(RV) Bihar, MP Arun Bharti; state president Raju Tiwari; Khagaria MP Rajesh Verma; Samastipur MP Shambhavi Chaudhary and Vaishali MP Veena Devi.
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The writer has a vast experience of over 30 years in the field of...
Read MoreThe writer has a vast experience of over 30 years in the field of journalism, as a reporter and a news editor. He has officiated as a bureau head and presided over the local desk in Patna and abroad. He has covered a variety of topics, from politics to sports, in India and abroad. He has covered top golfers and tennis players in tournaments held in Doha (Qatar).
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