New Delhi, 27 March (H.S.):
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs staged a protest demonstration at the Makar Dwar in the Parliament House complex on Friday, demanding that the reservation quota in Bihar be increased from 65 percent to 85 percent. The demonstration was also aimed at pressing the central government to include the expanded reservation quota, based on the 2023 caste‑based survey, in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, and to address the nationwide shortage of LPG cylinders. The protest was led by RJD MP Meira Kumar and included MPs Sanjay Yadav, Abhay Kushwaha, Anil Kumar Yadav and several other RJD members.
The MPs argued that despite the recent cut in excise duty on petrol and diesel, fuel and cooking‑gas availability has not improved for ordinary citizens. They highlighted long queues at petrol pumps and LPG distribution centres as proof that the benefits of policy changes are not reaching the public, particularly in states like Bihar. Placards and slogans at the demonstration linked the LPG crunch and fuel shortages to the ongoing West Asia conflict and urged the Prime Minister to share the full picture with states and citizens to help manage the situation.
RJD MPs recalled that during the Mahagathbandhan government’s tenure in 2022, Bihar had conducted a socio‑economic and caste‑based survey which led to the state’s reservation cap being raised to 75 percent, with 65 percent reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes and Extremely Backward Classes.
The RJD said that the Bihar cabinet had passed a resolution asking the Union government to place the 65‑percent reservation in the Ninth Schedule to insulate it from legal challenges, but nearly three years later no concrete action has been taken.
The party accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre and in Bihar of adopting an anti‑Dalit, anti‑OBC and anti‑tribal stance and argued that the 85‑percent demand is in line with the population structure revealed by the 2023 caste survey.
In addition to the reservation issue, RJD MPs also questioned the Centre’s handling of the West Asia conflict. Sanjay Yadav demanded that the Prime Minister and state governments maintain transparent communication with the public and keep citizens informed so that they can adjust to the economic and social fallout of the crisis. The protest at the Parliament complex signals that the RJD is trying to keep the debate on reservation, fuel prices and LPG availability at the national level, ahead of crucial political and electoral battles in Bihar and beyond.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
