Nitish-Lalu together sought religion-based quotas in 2005: Narendra Modi

KATIHAR: Launching his campaign in Seemanchal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the reservation issue once again and accused chief minsiter Nitish Kumar and RJD chief Lalu Prasad of proposing reservation for Muslims in 2005 from a common stage.

At a well-attended rally in Katihar, one of the four Seemanchal districts, which has nearly 30% Muslim population, Modi said newspapers of July 23-24, 2005, should be pulled out to ascertain the truth. "I am making another big allegation. On July 23-24, 2005, when Nitish and Lalu were not ready to see each other, not even smile at each other — they came together on one stage and gave a speech that there should be a review of the reservation policy.

Pull out the newspapers of those dates," Modi said, to counter the Grand Alliance’s barbs on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s comment on review of the reservation policy. Modi said raising a 2005 matter was justified as Lalu was raising a book written 70 years ago by MS Gowalkar. "Why is Lalu roaming with a 70-year-old book? The book has not been written by a BJP person," Prime Minister said.

Modi had last week also alleged that Nitish had made a statement in Parliament in 2005 pitching for quota for Muslims by taking away a pie of reservation from the backward classes. Both Lalu and Nitish have rubbished the allegation. "Lalu and Nitish got nervous after my statement, but their courtiers in Delhi got super worried," Modi said, in an apparent dig at the media, which has been speculating on a win for the Grand Alliance.