Lalu Yadav calls for Muslim reservation, stirs political row; PM Modi slams remark

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday (May 7) stirred a political row with his remarks about giving complete reservation to Muslims.

Calling for Muslim quota, the former Bihar CM Lalu said, "Muslims should get a complete reservation."  

His remarks came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a rally in Bihar's Ujiyarpur, alleged that the Congress party provided reservation to Muslims by reducing the quota for SCs, STs and OBCs in Karnataka and Andhra.

PM Modi slams Lalu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, slammed the RJD chief over his remarks and accused the INDI Alliance of taking away the reservation rights of ST, SC and OBC communities.

PM Modi then took a jibe at Lalu stating that the "fodder scam accused" leader who at present is out on bail, is advocating for the reservation rights of the Muslim population.

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"Congress is silent but today one of its allies confirmed the intentions of the INDI alliance. Their leader who is in jail in connection with the fodder scam and has been punished by the court...He has just come out on bail...He said that Muslims should get reservation and not just reservation, he says that Muslims should get complete reservation. What does this mean? These people want to snatch away all the reservation that SC, ST and OBC communities have and give complete reservation to Muslims," he said while addressing a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar.

'Reservation is not religion based,' says Lalu

Lalu issued a clarification and rejected the accusations by PM Modi that the opposition INDIA bloc wants to give the reservation to Muslims at the cost of snatching away the right from the backward communities stating that the quota is decided taking into consideration the social backwardness and not on the basis of religion.

The RJD chief then went on to claim that he was the one who implemented the Mandal Commission.

"I implemented the 'Mandal Commission'. Reservation samajik adhar par hota hai dharmik aadhar par nahi hota hai (it is based on social-backwardness and not based on religion). Atal Bihari Vajpayee constituted the Constitution Review Commission," Lalu told news agency ANI.

He then asserted that people were voting in favour of the INDIA bloc and that the BJP would not be able to win even 200 seats.

"We are getting reports in our favour after the third phase. They are saying 400-plus to induce psychological pressure, they won't even cross 200," he said.

"They (BJP) want to end reservation, they are against backwards and Dalits," the RJD supremo alleged.

(With inputs from agencies)