Union Minister Chirag Paswan has stepped up his criticism of fellow Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi amid an escalating disagreement over the reservation policy for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).
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The public confrontation between the two NDA leaders is unusual, as both are part of the ruling alliance at the Centre. The dispute has brought the politically sensitive issue of reservation and its implementation back into focus.
Paswan has opposed the proposal for applying a “creamy layer” principle to SC and ST reservations. He has argued that economic criteria should not be used in a manner that could dilute the constitutional safeguards provided to historically disadvantaged communities.
Taking a strong position against Manjhi’s stand, Paswan said that if the Union minister supports the creamy-layer approach, he should consider resigning from his ministerial position. He also questioned the continuation of Manjhi’s son, Santosh Kumar Suman, in the Bihar government.
What Is Behind the Chirag Paswan-Jitan Ram Manjhi Dispute?
The disagreement centres on how reservation benefits should be distributed among communities covered by the SC/ST quota.
Manjhi and his political camp have backed greater differentiation within reserved categories, arguing that the most disadvantaged sections should receive a larger share of the benefits. Supporters of this approach say that some communities have historically benefited more from reservation than others.
Paswan, however, has taken a different view. He has warned against measures that could further divide SC communities and potentially weaken the broader objective of social justice.
The issue gained further significance following the Supreme Court’s 2024 ruling that states can sub-classify Scheduled Castes for providing reservation benefits to more disadvantaged groups, subject to constitutional and legal requirements.
