Patna, Sep 3 : Hours after RJD President Lalu Prasad Yadav said that he would force BJP and RSS to conduct the caste census, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai accused him of being an opponent of the reservation.

Speaking to the media in Patna, the BJP leader targeted Yadav for his alleged hypocrisy and historical stance on reservation policies.

Rai pointed out that Yadav was an ally of the Congress-led government in the past. He specifically mentioned the period when the Mandal Commission's recommendations were debated in Parliament. The Mandal Commission recommended reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in government jobs and educational institutions.

'When the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi opposed these recommendations, Lalu Prasad Yadav remained silent and did not object to Gandhi's stance. Lalu Yadav did not apply pressure on Congress to support the formation of a commission for OBCs when he had the opportunity to do so as part of the ruling coalition,' Rai said.

'Lalu Prasad Yadav should repent for the sins he has committed, and Tejashwi Yadav is committing the same. People know about their stand. Despite Lalu Prasad Yadav being part of the government, he did not give the reservation,' Rai said.

The BJP leader accused the Congress and RJD of being historically against the reservation, stating, 'If anyone is against reservation, it is Congress and RJD in the country.'

Rai defended the BJP's track record on reservations, recalling the party's stand to accept reservation policies during the period of Jan Sangh.

He emphasised that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, the BJP has strengthened these policies. 'Modi's government established a commission for OBCs and granted it constitutional status, reinforcing the BJP's commitment to reservations for Dalits, backward castes, and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs),' he added.

Rai also stressed the BJP's alignment with the views of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and a champion for social justice and reservation policies.

BJP's reply came in response to Yadav's blistering attack on the Centre over the issue.

Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister, taking to social media platform X, said, "We will hold the ears of these RSS/BJP guys, make them do sit-ups and get the caste census done. What authority do they have that they will not conduct a caste census? We will force them so much that they will have to do caste census."

"The time has come for the Dalits, backward, tribals and poor to show unity," he also wrote.

/IANS