Patna. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday praised the Narendra Modi government for its efforts for the upliftment of the backward classes and accused the Congress-led opposition of merely paying lip service to the community. Chouhan, the agriculture and farmers welfare and rural development minister, was addressing a party programme organised in memory of freedom fighter Ramphal Mandal. Mandal was hanged at the age of 19 for the murder of three British officers who were held responsible for the police firing during the Quit India Movement of 1942.
Chouhan, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, said Mandal was a ‘Dhanuk’ and Dhanuk is an OBC who is “known for his contribution to nation building in my state and Bihar.” “Our opponents only pretend in the name of backward classes, but it is only in the present BJP regime that they (backward classes) have got their due and in this regime, an ‘Ati Pichhada’ (extremely backward class) Narendra Modi is at the helm of power,” he said. “It is Modi who gave 27 per cent reservation to OBCs in entrance exams like NEET. This is the same government which gave constitutional status to the National OBC Commission. Compare this with the Congress which slept on the recommendations of the Kalekar Commission,” he said.
Chouhan’s statement comes in the backdrop of the opposition led by Rahul Gandhi strongly advocating for a ‘caste census’, which implies counting of social groups other than Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and religious minorities. Such a census was last conducted almost a century ago. The BJP leader said, “Just talking will not work. We need to bring change in the lives of common people. The Modi government is committed to build 13 lakh houses for the homeless in the next four years. Entrepreneurship is being promoted among women through schemes like Lakhpati Didi.
The Agriculture Minister said, “Along with ensuring an increase in agricultural production, we are also trying to reduce the cost of farming so that agriculture is not seen as an economically unprofitable activity. Activities like horticulture and floriculture are also being encouraged and assistance is being provided to farmers who suffer losses due to natural disasters.” He said, “Diversification of agriculture is included in the government’s plan… Along with traditional crops, we will encourage the cultivation of crops which can earn more money.
