JD(U) slams RJD's row over minorities' plight

Patna, Dec 17 (UNI) Holding RJD president Lalu Prasad responsible for ''pathetic condition ''of Muslims in Bihar, JD (U) today said that the Railway minister had no moral right to demand for implementation of Sachar committee report in the state.

Addressing his maiden press conference after assuming responsibility of national spokesman of JD (U), Shivanand Tiwari referred to the demand of RJD members for implementation of Sachar committee report during winter session of Bihar assembly and said it was ''ironical that a political party, responsible for miserable condition of Muslims, was now shedding crocodile tears for their welfare and upliftment.'' ''During the RJD regime, the state minority commission had submitted a report indicating socio-economic backwardness of Muslims in Bihar, but Mr Prasad did not bother to take any remedial steps and instead tried to hush-up the report itself,'' he alleged.

Quoting figures from a survey report of ADRI, an NGO hired by the State Minority Commission during RJD regime to study the socio-econmoic status of Muslims, Mr Tiwari said that more than seventy five per cent of their total population had no land-holdings while the rest had very small area of lands in their possession.

Similarly representation of minorities in state government services and local bodies was also very low, he added.

''Most Muslims are forced to work as labourers in unorganised sectors, due to abject poverty'' he said, adding Mr Prasad only tried to use them as ''vote banks.'' After the Nalanda and Bhagalpur parliamentary by-elections, it had become clear that Muslims were no more supporting the RJD, which came as a wake-up and the party was now engaged in damage control exercise by demanding the implementation of Sachar committee report.

When asked about the stand of his party on Sacchar Committee report, Mr Tiwari said that JD (U) favoured implementation of the report, saying ''who can oppose it''.

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