Bihar Politics / War on caste broke out between Manjhi and Lalu! Even talk of revealing genealogy came up

Bihar Politics: Bihar politics is once again revolving around caste equations. This time the controversy has erupted between two major political giants—Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) patron and Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. The controversy started with a statement by Jitan Ram Manjhi, in which he raised questions about Lalu Yadav's caste. Since then, this war of words has reached the challenge of genealogy.

How did the controversy start?

In an interview on Tuesday, Jitan Ram Manjhi was asked about Lalu Prasad Yadav, to which he said that Lalu Yadav is not actually a "Yadav" but a "Gadariya". Manjhi claimed that Lalu Yadav and his family have spread confusion about caste identity. He said, "Lalu ji is not a Yadav, he is a Gadaria. Those people are not educated, whereas we have studied and have done BA Honors. What is his degree, he should tell." After this statement of Manjhi, Lalu Yadav retorted, "What is Manjhi himself? Is he a Musahar?" Lalu's statement deepened the controversy.

Manjhi's retort and genealogy challenge

Jitan Ram Manjhi reacted sharply to Lalu's statement and said on social media, "Lalu ji, we proudly say that we are Musahar-Bhuiyan. Our entire family has been Musahar-Bhuiyan, and we have no shame in this."

Along with this, HAM party's national spokesperson Shyam Sundar Sharan on Thursday openly challenged Lalu Yadav to make his genealogy public. He said, "Lalu Prasad Yadav has always had an anti-Dalit mentality. Ever since he came into politics, he considered Dalits as a doormat. Now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made Jitan Ram Manjhi a Union Minister, his frustration has increased. We challenge Lalu Yadav to release his genealogy of three generations, so that it can be known whether he is actually a Yadav or a shepherd."

Shyam Sundar Sharan also demanded an investigation into Lalu Yadav's properties and scams. He alleged that Lalu has committed "scams" not only in politics and caste, but also in property.

Manjhi's resentment towards Lalu Yadav

This war of words is not limited to caste only. Jitan Ram Manjhi also questioned that Lalu Yadav has ignored the interests of Dalits during his political career. According to Manjhi, Lalu Yadav always marginalized Dalits during his power and considered them "foot shoes".

What does Bihar's caste politics say?

Bihar politics has always been caste-based, and Lalu Prasad Yadav has received the support of Yadavs and other backward castes (OBCs) in his long political career. At the same time, Jitan Ram Manjhi is a prominent leader of the Dalit community, and his political base is mainly the Musahar caste, which is considered the lowest caste in Bihar.

Caste equations are the main factor in the success of any party in Bihar politics. This war of words between Manjhi and Lalu is more than just the prestige of a person or a caste. It can also affect the political equations of the state, especially in view of the upcoming elections.

Conclusion

The caste dispute between Lalu Yadav and Jitan Ram Manjhi has sparked a new debate in Bihar politics. The challenge to release the genealogy has further heated up this dispute. Caste politics has always been important in Bihar, and this dispute is likely to change the political atmosphere of the state. It will be interesting to see in the coming days what impact this dispute has and whether both the leaders will lay the foundation of a new political equation with their rhetoric.