Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan has supported the demand raised by chief minister Nitish Kumar and the JDU for granting special status category to Bihar but within the guidelines set up by the National Development Council (NDC).

“Bihar is more backward while Andhra is comparatively developed State. If the States are considered for special status Bihar will get this privilege first,” said Paswan talking to media here on Sunday and said his party was always in in support of special status to Bihar and Nitish has all right to make such a demand. However, he admitted there were some constraints in granting this status because of the laid norms but Paswan stopped short of demanding change in the norms. Paswan was all praise for Bihar CM for including Paswan caste in the Mahadalit category and other welfare measure for the scheduled caste students like Rs 50,000 grant to those students qualifying in BPSC and Rs 1 lakh for those qualifying in UPSC. “All dalit castes are oppressed class and there should not be any discriminations as far as granting them some facilities,” said Paswan who had earlier been critical of Nitish for keeping Paswans out of the purview of Mahadalit category for political reasons. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had ordered that the dalits should be called scheduled castes which is also written in the constitution and the same term was used by Dr B R Ambedkar.

Expressing confidence that BJP led NDA will form the Government in Karnataka, Paswan took pot shots at AICC president Rahul Gandhi for his statement that he was ready to be Prime Minister in 2019.

Writer: PNS

Courtesy: The Pioneer

Union minister of consumer affairs, food and public distribution and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan has supported the demand raised by chief minister Nitish Kumar and the JDU for granting special status category to Bihar but within the guidelines set up by the National Development Council (NDC).

“Bihar is more backward while Andhra is comparatively developed State. If the States are considered for special status Bihar will get this privilege first,” said Paswan talking to media here on Sunday and said his party was always in in support of special status to Bihar and Nitish has all right to make such a demand. However, he admitted there were some constraints in granting this status because of the laid norms but Paswan stopped short of demanding change in the norms. Paswan was all praise for Bihar CM for including Paswan caste in the Mahadalit category and other welfare measure for the scheduled caste students like Rs 50,000 grant to those students qualifying in BPSC and Rs 1 lakh for those qualifying in UPSC. “All dalit castes are oppressed class and there should not be any discriminations as far as granting them some facilities,” said Paswan who had earlier been critical of Nitish for keeping Paswans out of the purview of Mahadalit category for political reasons. He also pointed out that the Supreme Court had ordered that the dalits should be called scheduled castes which is also written in the constitution and the same term was used by Dr B R Ambedkar.

Expressing confidence that BJP led NDA will form the Government in Karnataka, Paswan took pot shots at AICC president Rahul Gandhi for his statement that he was ready to be Prime Minister in 2019.

Writer: PNS

Courtesy: The Pioneer