Tejashwi Yadav slams PM Modi for ‘Mujra’ remarks

Patna: Bihar Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his ‘Mujra’ remarks, saying the PM should use dignified language against the opposition parties.

Tejashwi Yadav said that PM Modi came to Bihar and said baseless, factless and false things publicly on Saturday where he once again tried to “confuse everyone” but was unsuccessfully in his attempt.

“Such things are not expected from you. We expect a healthy discussion from you as you must take care of the dignity of the post you are holding. The usage of terms like Mujra and Mangalsutra does not suit the Prime Minister of this big-hearted country. To be honest, we are worried about you,” said Tejashwi Yadav, in a letter addressed to PM Modi.

On the caste census, the Bihar LoP said that PM Modi must remember that leaders of all political parties of Bihar met him in August 2021 and demanded the caste census.

“Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also in favour of caste census. The proposal for caste census was passed unanimously in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on my initiative. We all demanded a caste census but PM Modi rejected it,” Tejashwi Yadav wrote.

He said that as soon as the JD-U and RJD government came to power in Bihar, it conducted a caste-based survey at the state's own expense and then in light of that survey, increased the scope of the reservation to 75 per cent.

“We kept you (PM Modi) requesting, again and again, to include it in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution but he always had an anti-backward and anti-Dalit mentality,” Tejashwi Yadav wrote.

He said that the Prime Minister did not consider Bihar’s important requests, which had a Bahujan voice in its favour.

“We had also appealed to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the Eastern Regional Council meeting held in Patna on December 10, 2023,” he said.

On reservation, Tejashwi Yadav wrote, that PM Modi has found a unique way to end Babasaheb's reservation which is available for government jobs under Section 15 and Section 16 of the Constitution.

“If you end government jobs in railways, army and other departments then what will be the concept of reservation? Shockingly, this serious concern is not in your priorities. We have urged you (PM Modi) many times in Parliament to make arrangements for reservation in the private sector so that a wide Bahujan population, Dalit community and other deprived groups get their due constitutional rights,” he said.

On reservation of Gujarati Muslims, Tejashwi Yadav said that all Dalits, extremely backward and tribal people know that BJP and PM Modi are staunch ideological enemies of Babasaheb, Birsa Munda, Kanshiram, Ram Manohar Lohia and Mandal Commission.

“I am also attaching the list of Muslim castes under the OBC category in Gujarat. Perhaps you are not aware that 25 castes of the Muslim community also get reservations in Gujarat. You were the Chief Minister of Gujarat for more than 13 years. So, refrain from spreading confusion and politics of hatred in the people,” he wrote.

He said that instead of fighting a democratic battle, PM Modi is threatening to send a 34-year-old youth (Tejashwi Yadav) to jail.

“Are you not tearing the Constitution into pieces by making such threats? Elections will come and go but do not harm the Constitution and the country's social structure anymore,” Tejashwi Yadav wrote.