“Would suggest PM Modi read Annihilation of Caste”: Manoj Jha on PM’s calls for rooting out casteism

New Delhi [India]: Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha on Wednesday reacted to the statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on casteism and said that he would like to suggest PM Modi read the book “Annihilation of Caste” to avoid such kinds of comments for the betterment of society.

“I would urge PM Modi to research well before making any comment on casteism.

Regionalism and regional aspiration occur due to unbalanced growth. The unbalanced growth gives birth to regional parties. If we are asking why the government bodies don’t have much OBC participation, is this casteism? I would like to suggest the prime minister read the book “Annihilation of Caste” to avoid such kinds of comments for the betterment of society,” Jha said.

Annihilation of Caste is an undelivered speech written in 1936 by BR Ambedkar in response to an invitation extended by an anti-caste Hindu reformation group called the Jat-Pat Todak Mandal to speak at their annual conference in 1936.

This comes after PM Modi on Tuesday called upon people to finish off forces trying to divide the country with casteism and regionalism.

Addressing a huge gathering in Dwarka, Delhi, he said the festival should also mark the burning of ideologies that detract from India’s development.

“It should not be confined to the burning of Ravana’s effigies and Lord Ram’s victory over the demon but also mark the triumph of patriotism over every evil in the country,” he said.

Jha also condemned the statements of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, saying that Shiv Sena (UBT) could join hands with Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM or even with “Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hamas” if it suits their political ambitions, and said that the statements passed by CM Shinde show that he lacks knowledge.

“I feel the statement of Eknath Shinde is not good and he has a serious lack of knowledge
Is he aware of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideology on Palestine? Did he even try to know about it?
Everyone condemned the Hamas attack, but the Israeli forces who are taking innocent lives must also be condemned; it is near-genocidal,” the RJD leader said.

Shinde on Tuesday launched a no-holds-barred attack on his predecessor, Uddhav Thackeray and said the former joined hands with the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), forsaking the party’s core Hindutva moorings, to fulfil his personal aspirations of becoming the CM.

Meanwhile, without naming Uddhav, who stepped down as CM after his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government was reduced to a minority and eventually fell in the wake of his rebellion and switchover to the saffron camp, Shinde claimed that the former could join hands with Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM or even with “Lashkar-e-Taiba or Hamas” if it suits his political ambitions.

“The people are aware of what is happening today. The lifelong ideals of our founder-leader, Balasaheb Thackeray, were compromised to satisfy someone’s lust for power and ambition of becoming the chief minister. They joined hands with the Congress, the same Congress which Balasaheb always kept us away from. Today, these people are sharing the stage with them,” Shinde said, railing against Uddhav.

“I won’t be surprised if they (Sena UBT) merge with the Congress. Instead of being proud Hindus, they consigned the core beliefs that the (undivided) Shiv Sena was founded on to the waters to stand with the socialists, their ideological opposites. They could even join hands with Owaisi or with terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hamas if it suits their political ambitions. Our Shiv Sena can and will never compromise with our founding ideals for the sake of power,” Shinde added.