‘Is it not fact Karpoori Thakur was subjected to vilest abuse by RSS, Jan Sangh’: Congress jabs PM Modi

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the birthplace of socialist icon Karpoori Thakur, the Congress on Friday (October 24, 2025) took a swipe at the Prime Minister and asked whether it is not an acknowledged fact that the Jan Sangh brought down Mr. Thakur’s government in Bihar in April 1979 when the former Chief Minister introduced reservation for OBCs.

The Opposition party also asked whether it is not a fact that the PM and his “trouble-engine sarkar” in the State did nothing to protect Bihar’s 65% reservation law for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, and EBCs under the Constitution.

The attack came ahead of Prime Minister Modi addressing two poll rallies in Samastipur and Begusarai districts. Before addressing the public rally in Samastipur, the PM will visit Karpurigram, the birthplace of Karpoori Thakur, the late socialist leader and former Chief Minister of Bihar, who was conferred the Bharat Ratna last year by the NDA government.

Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, posed questions to the Prime Minister. They asked whether it is not an acknowledged fact that the Jan Sangh — from which the BJP emerged — brought down Karpoori Thakurji’s Government in Bihar in April 1979, when the former Chief Minister introduced reservations for OBCs? “Is it not a fact that Karpoori Thakur ji was subjected to the vilest abuse by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jan Sangh leaders then?” Mr. Ramesh said on X (formerly Twitter).

Is it not a fact that on April 28, 2024, he himself called those demanding a caste census as ‘urban naxals’ and that both in Parliament on July 20, 2021, as well as in the Supreme Court (21st September 2021), his government categorically rejected a caste census, Mr. Ramesh asked.

“Is it not a fact that he and his trouble-engine sarkar in the State did nothing to provide protection to Bihar’s 65% reservation law for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBCs, and EBCs under the Constitution of India — a protection that the Congress Government had provided to a similar law in Tamil Nadu in Sept 1994?” the Congress leader said.