RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to launch yatra to eradicate unemployment, up quotas

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday left for Darbhanga in north Bihar where he would launch a yatra to eradicate unemployment and increase quotas on Thursday.

The "berozgari hatao arakshan badhao yatra" would also cover Supaul and Bhagalpur districts in the next two days.

Mr Yadav, who is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, came out with a flurry of tweets on the occasion defending his demand for raising the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SCs, STs and OBCs besides explaining his opposition to the 10 per cent quotas for economically weaker sections of the unreserved category which has earned the RJD the wrath of the upper castes.

The quota for SC, ST and OBC must be increased to 90 per cent. I do not understand the basis for 10 per cent reservation on the basis of economic backwardness when no such demand was made by any section nor any recommendation made by any survey or any commission, the former Deputy Chief Minister tweeted.

Mr Yadav, who is the younger son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, also said in another tweet that his yatra would raise the issues of getting a caste census done, ensuring quotas to each caste in proportion to its population, securing 40 per cent quotas for the extremely backward classes and introducing reservations in the private sector.

In another tweet in Hindi Mr Yadav alleged that this is the beginning of the BJP-RSS design to do away with reservations..the long-standing demand for raising the 50 per cent ceiling was never heeded but Savarn Arakashan was given within a few hours. Bahujans! Arise, awake and fight these casteist elements.

The 29-year old has emerged as the de facto leader of the party in the absence of his father, who is serving sentences in fodder scam cases. He was named the partys Chief Ministerial candidate for the next assembly polls in a resolution passed unanimously at the RJDs national council meeting in November, 2017.

He made a successful electoral debut in the 2015 assembly polls which his party fought in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U).

He was straightaway appointed the Deputy CM, with key portfolios like building construction and minor water resources. However, corruption cases against him led to Mr Kumar snapping ties with the RJD and forming a new government with the BJP.

-PTI