'No demand for ministerial berth': LJP chief Chirag Paswan focuses on caste census, special status for Bihar, Agnipath scheme

PATNA: Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan, whose LJP (RV) has won five Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on Thursday said he has so far not made any demand as far as ministerial berth for his party in the new Union cabinet is concerned.
However, Paswan, who was talking to media persons in Delhi, batted for nationwide caste census and grant of special category status to Bihar.He said the Agnipath scheme should also be revisited. “The PM has already made it clear that the NDA partners are free to raise their demands at the right platform,” Paswan said.
Pointing out that he favoured nationwide caste census, Paswan said, “Even today, govts are framing schemes with an eye on bringing deprived caste groups into the mainstream. The govts should have caste-based data to plan and prepare schemes, but the data should not be used for any purpose other than that.”
While both TDP leader Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar might revive the demand for grant of special category status to their states, Paswan said the disbanded Planning Commission had favoured granting of this status to some states, but the Finance Commission has not recommended it.
“Therefore, it would require approval of the Niti Aayog and tweaking of law. Periodically, financial assistance and packages were announced, but the grant of special category status should be there,” Paswan said.
He batted for “reservation within reservation” for women in Lok Sabha and legislatures, now that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have passed the Bill as the primary step forward.