New Delhi: A major political rift has erupted within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) over the issue of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) reservations. Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has demanded the resignation of his cabinet colleague, Jitan Ram Manjhi, following the latter’s push for a sub-quota within the SC category.
The controversy ignited after Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) called for a review of the existing reservation policy to ensure benefits reach the most marginalised Dalit subgroups. Bihar Minister and Manjhi’s son, Santosh Kumar Suman, argued that a few communities—such as the Paswans and Ravidas—have disproportionately benefited from the quotas while others lag behind. Highlighting the extreme backwardness of the Musahar community, to which Manjhi belongs, Suman pointed out that the community is yet to produce a single IAS officer. He clarified that HAM is not seeking to abolish reservations but rather to make the system more equitable.
Fiercely opposing the concept of a ‘creamy layer’ and sub-classification within the SC/ST quota, Paswan dared the father-son duo to step down. “Those who are talking about a creamy layer in SC reservations should first give up their benefits. If Jitan Ram Manjhi favours this system, he and his son should resign from their ministerial posts,” Paswan stated. He argued that the Constitution does not mandate SC reservations on an economic basis and warned that introducing sub-quotas would fracture Dalit unity and dilute the core objective of social justice.
Hitting back at the LJP leader, Manjhi accused Paswan of being insensitive to the plight of the poorest. Speaking in Gaya, the HAM founder asserted that sub-categorisation is essential in the broader public interest. He countered that if Paswan lacks concern for the most deprived segments of society, it is Paswan who should resign.
The intense political slugfest is rooted in a landmark 2024 Supreme Court ruling that permitted states to sub-classify SCs and STs to uplift the most backward communities. A recent petition in the apex court also sought to exclude socially and economically advanced individuals from SC/ST quotas, referencing the views of four out of seven judges on the constitution bench. However, the Union Government recently clarified via an affidavit that the creamy layer rule—currently applicable only to Other Backward Classes (OBCs)—cannot be legally extended to SCs and STs.
With both parties serving as crucial NDA allies at the Centre and in Bihar, the escalating war of words threatens to create significant friction within the ruling coalition.