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Journalism of Courage
Ahead of the third phase of Bihar elections, Hindustan Awam Morcha chief and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi said that the National Democratic Alliance is under pressure.
Speaking to The Hindu, Dalit leader Manjhi reacted on the recent controversies surrounding HAM’s alliance partner in the state polls. MoS General (retd.) VK Singh’s remark on the Dalit killings in Faridabad and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s stance on the need to revisit the reservation policy has made it hard for its allies to defend the BJP .
Manjhi told The Hindu that the friction caused by these two issues “have created pressure to explain and sometimes it becomes difficult to do so.”
“I condemn outright what Gen. [Retd.] V.K. Singh has said, but I also know that he has expressed his regrets. The Centre or the Scheduled Caste Commission and others can take up the matter. It is being made an issue in these elections by the Opposition by twisting the context of the statement,” Manjhi said.
The HAM leader also defended Bhagwat by saying that the RSS chief never wanted to do away with reservation.
“… he (Bhagwat) just said that we have to look at ways in which it can better serve the deprived classes. Who knows it may end up increasing quota from the way it is today,” said Mr. Manjhi.
