Former chief minister and HAMS national president Jitan Ram Manjhi on Friday slammed chief minister Nitish Kumar for organising conferences for Scheduled Castes.

Manjhi said Nitish was making a fool of people from the Scheduled Castes while doing nothing for their betterment. He said Nitish’s claim that nobody could put a lid on quota till he was around was all tall talk. “The Constitution gives quota to the socially and educationally backward people,” Manjhi said at his 12-M Strand Road official residence. “I want to ask Nitishji what kind of development has taken place for the socially and educationally backward in the 15 years of his regime. If development has indeed taken place, he better say there is no need for quota now.”

He said anyone ruling a state for so long leaves some mark, but wondered how much more time Nitish needs to develop the state. “Does Nitish want 35 years or 40 years to develop the state socially and educationally,” Manjhi asked. “So, whatever he is saying at the Scheduled Caste programmes is totally wrong. He is just wasting money. Also, he knows it is not possible to make changes to quota because benefits have not trickled to everybody who is socially and educationally backward.”

As an example of social backwardness he said President Ram Nath Kovind’s wife was not allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Jagannath Temple in Puri. He said Bihar and the country’s literacy percentage was far below normal. “Nitishji knows this very well and that’s why he says that till he is alive no one can end quota,” Manjhi said.

He also taunted deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, saying his appeal to criminals did not work and crime was in spate in Bihar. “By mistake, Sushil Modiji appealed to criminals with folded hands and he should now show the courage to make another appeal because his first appeal is not working and crime is on the rise. People are just spitting at the state’s law and order situation. It is time to implement President’s rule in the state and I’ve already made this demand before the governor,” Manjhi said.