Patna, May 3 Union Minister and senior JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), accusing it of hypocrisy on the issue of caste-based census and prioritising dynastic politics over social justice.
While addressing the media, Lalan Singh said that RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav had supported the formation of the UPA government in 2004, but his main concern in 2005 was preventing Nitish Kumar from becoming Chief Minister, not demanding a caste census.
“In 2005, Lalu Yadav, who was then the Railway Minister, met the Prime Minister at 2 a.m. demanding the immediate dissolution of the Bihar Assembly to stop Nitish Kumar’s swearing-in. Had caste census been his real agenda, he would have asked for that instead,” said Singh.
He challenged Tejashwi Yadav to show any video or statement of Lalu Yadav explicitly demanding caste census at that time.
“The RJD has no real agenda. Their politics revolves around dynasties and corruption. From the fodder scam to the land-for-jobs scam, they’ve looted the state. If Tejashwi really believes in social justice, how did he amass thousands of crores before the age of 18?” Singh asked.
“Even party workers know the price they pay for membership in RJD,” Singh said.
Soon after the Centre’s announcement, Lalu Prasad issued a statement recalling how the United Front government (under his presidency of Janata Dal) had decided to conduct a caste census in 1996-97, to be implemented in 2001.
However, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government scrapped it. Lalu Prasad Yadav added that during the 2011 census, he, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and Sharad Yadav raised the issue in Parliament and only allowed it to function after then-PM Manmohan Singh assured a socio-economic survey.
He credited the first caste survey in Bihar to the 17-month Mahagathbandhan government, asserting that RJD's stand had been consistent.
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