BJP's Rituraj Sinha slams Tejashwi's domicile promise, calls it 'electoral drama'

Patna, June 16 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Secretary Rituraj Sinha has launched a sharp political attack on Leader of Opposition and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, accusing him of politicising the issue of domicile-based job reservation in Bihar and misleading the youth for electoral gains.

In a press statement on Sunday, Sinha termed Tejashwi's recent promise of implementing a 100 per cent domicile law in government jobs as "a sign of political immaturity" and "a deceptive strategy to grab votes at the cost of Bihar's long-term interests".

The BJP leader said, "Tejashwi looks at every serious issue only through an electoral lens. On one hand, the RJD talks about inviting industries to Bihar, while on the other hand, it wants to keep outsiders out of jobs. This is a clear case of policy confusion."

He added, "This mindset reflects not the vision of Bihar, but the regressive thinking of the Lalu family's brand of politics."

Sinha raised a crucial concern over the possible domino effect of Bihar's proposed domicile law on Bihari workers in other states.

"More than 7.454 crore Biharis are working in other states like Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka. If Bihar implements a restrictive domicile policy, won't other states retaliate with similar laws?" he asked.

He asked whether Tejashwi had considered the broader implications of such a political move, saying, "Will this not jeopardise the livelihood of lakhs of Biharis who are thriving outside their native state?"

The BJP leader accused Tejashwi of being unaware of constitutional limitations.

"Reservation based solely on domicile violates Article 16(2) of the Constitution, which bars discrimination in public employment based on the place of birth or residence," Sinha said.

He cited legal precedents, including the Supreme Court's rejection of Haryana's 75 per cent local quota and striking down of Postgraduation medical seat reservation based on domicile.

"Those who keep invoking the Constitution should at least take time to read it," he said, while advising Tejashwi Yadav and the RJD.

Sinha also offered a data-based rebuttal, saying that less than five per cent of candidates in recent state recruitment exams were from outside Bihar.

"Does Tejashwi want to risk the futures of lakhs of Biharis just to target this small percentage?" he asked.

He referred to past recruitment drives, especially for school teachers, where restricting non-Bihari candidates led to a shortage of qualified applicants, especially in critical subjects like Mathematics and Science.

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