Bihar Dalit ministers clash over sub-quota, sparking wider NDA tension

In New Delhi, Union ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi and Chirag Paswan engaged in a heated exchange over a suggested sub-quota for the most deprived Dalit castes. Manjhi, whose Musahar background drives his demand for a distinct quota, was backed by his son Santosh Kumar Suman, who wants a comprehensive audit of reservation benefits after seven decades of independence. Paswan, son of the late Ram Vilas Paswan, dismissed the "creamy layer" concept, insisting that reservations target entrenched caste discrimination rather than wealth.

Political observers view the clash as a turf war for Dalit leadership within Bihar, with each leader courting different SC constituencies. The debate comes amid a Supreme Court ruling that permits sub-categorisation of SCs and ongoing anti-reservation protests in the capital, putting the BJP in a delicate position between upper-caste voters and marginalized groups. The party has thus so far avoided a definitive stance, fearing the issue could spiral into a larger controversy.