Jan Sangh opposed Karpoori Thankur's quota policy: Nitish Kumar
Patna, Jan 24 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday attacked the BJP by reminding its leaders that the party's predecessor Jan Sangh had opposed the reservation policy of socialist leader and icon of backward politics Karpoori Thakur.
Thakur, who had announced the reservation policy as the Chief Minister of Bihar during late 1970s, was removed from the post under pressure from the Jan Sangh, Nitish Kumar said.
"Thakur-led government of the Janata Party had faced opposition from its own party legislators, who were from Jan Sangh, and they questioned his reservation policy and removed him as the Chief Minister.
"But today, I am happy that at last the same people -- the BJP -- have surrendered to Thakur's ideology and his stand on reservation and celeberating his birth anniversary," he said at a function of his party Janata Dal-United (JD-U) here to mark the birth anniversary of Thakur.
The Bihar Chief Minister used the opportunity to mock BJP for celebrating the anniversary of Thakur by saying that "those who have nothing to do with his brand of politics are celebrating it".
Nitish Kumar said the Jan Sangh, which merged with the Janata Party that formed the government in Bihar led by Thakur, played a key role in the removal of Thakur as the Chief Minister.
Highlighting the works of the "former Bihar Chief Minister of the downtrodden", Nitish Kumar said his government is walking on the path shown by the socialist leader. "The Grand Alliance government led by me will fulfil the dream of Thakur."
Thakur is popularly known as the "Jan Nayak" (people's leader) for championing the cause of the poor and the downtrodden.
Thakur was the Chief Minister of Bihar from December 1970 to June 1971 and from December 1977 to April 1979. He was born on January 24, 1924, and died on February 17, 1988.
