My responsibility to help upper castes if they need justice: Chirag Paswan

Union minister Chirag Paswan on Monday said it was his responsibility to help upper castes if they need justice, asserting that safeguarding interests of deprived classes should not result in “exploitation of other castes”.

Paswan, who was responding to a query from journalists about his vehement opposition to introducing a sub-quota for the most deprived sections among SCs and STs, also said he sought to “serve as a bridge” that connects various social groups. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief and Union minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday sparred over a separate sub-category for the most deprived Dalit sections, with Paswan opposing it as divisive and the former Bihar chief minister arguing that it would benefit the communities.

Paswan also charged upper caste politicians with failure to “effectively voicing the concerns of their own communities”.

The Hajipur MP did not directly reply to his tiff with Manjhi, the Hindustani Awam Morcha founder, but said, “About reservations, I hold the clear view that if one social segment has its own concerns, taking care of the apprehensions of the others is also the responsibility of our government.”

“On one hand, we need to protect the interests of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, but on the other we also ought to allay fears of the upper castes. Safeguarding interests of one caste should not result in the exploitation of another,” Paswan said.

“But I wonder why those from the upper castes are not able to voice the concerns of their communities with the same intensity that I do for the social segment I represent? The Constitution has created ample space for uplift of all social groups without any friction between upper castes, OBCs, SC/ST and minorities. Chirag Paswan shall serve as a bridge between these social groups,” he said.