Patna, Feb 7 (PTI) CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya on Friday alleged that the Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has been granting SC and ST status to castes with an eye on electoral benefits.

Addressing a press conference here, the Left leader accused the chief minister of "cheating" people, leading to "turmoil" in the society.

"There is a small caste group in Bihar called ‘Maan’. Nitish Kumar ordered that they be classified as Scheduled Castes, knowing fully well that it was the prerogative of the Centre to do so. His order could not withstand judicial scrutiny but the CM is happy that he reaped electoral benefits,” Bhattacharya claimed.

"Nitish Kumar similarly cheated the ‘Lohars’ by giving them ST status. This is how he has been messing around, leaving the society in turmoil,” he asserted.

He also claimed that people having "affinity towards the BJP" had challenged the hike in reservations in the state before court, and the JD(U) supremo turned out to be just a "mukhauta" (mask) for the saffron party, which seems to be calling the shots.

"There is unanimity in the INDIA bloc over the need for a caste census for the entire country, and protecting the hike in quotas for tribals, Dalits and backward classes in Bihar. The NDA must introduce in Parliament a proposal to place in Constitution's ninth schedule the legislations by which reservations were raised to 65 per cent. There has been a precedent. Tamil Nadu has 69 per cent reservations, protected by the ninth schedule,” CPI(ML)L leader said.

He was of the view that in the run up to Bihar assembly polls, due later this year, the BJP "may try diverting public attention by stirring the Hindu-Muslim debate, besides the manipulating voters' list as we saw in Maharashtra, and more recently in Delhi".

Bhattacharya, however, also expressed confidence that "Bihar will not go the Uttar Pradesh way, and people here will vote for free electricity and doles for women, just like we saw in Jharkhand".

"I recently toured the Seemanchal region and found that the people are yearning for a change. They are fed up with the apathy of the government, which blatantly uses the police to stamp out all dissent,” claimed the Left leader.

Without mentioning RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav by name, the CPI(ML)L general secretary said the promise of Rs 2,500 per month to women and 400 units of free power is “bound to find resonance in Bihar where one third of the population survives on less than Rs 6,000 a month”.

Bhattacharya ducked a query on RJD president Lalu Prasad, who had recently expressed the wish that Yadav, his son and heir apparent, be made the next chief minister.

"This has not been discussed in the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ so far. When time comes we will talk and a decision will be taken jointly,” he said.

Bhattacharya also trained his guns at the Narendra Modi government at the Centre over the deportation of 104 Indian nationals from the US.

"The Trump administration handcuffed our countrymen as if they were criminals. Our own Minister for External Affairs is defending the humiliation. A small country like Colombia did not allow itself to be treated in this fashion by the US,” he said.

"Even the Union budget seems to have in mind American interests instead of the welfare of our own people. The talk of income tax relief is a gimmick. A large portion of the population does not have enough income to be taxed,” added Bhattacharya. PTI ANW NAC RBT