Samrat Choudhary interview: ‘BJP in govt helped pass caste survey move … RJD was nowhere then’

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary is one of the BJP’s tallest OBC leaders in the state. In an interview with The Indian Express, he talks about the Opposition’s criticism of Narendra Modi for his comments on Opposition leaders who “cook mutton during saawan (monsoon)” or “eat fish during Navratri” — the PM’s dig at RJD leader Lalu Prasad, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and Lalu’s son Tejashwi Yadav — the Bihar caste survey, and his criticism of Nitish Kumar in the past.

Excerpts:

People here know that Lalu Prasad ji eats chaara (fodder). He was eating mutton during saawan and also making Rahul Gandhi eat it. This is a question of the asmita (pride) of people who believe in Sanatana Dharma. The PM also said there is full freedom to eat what you wish. But doing so publicly, eating fish publicly in the month of saawan, on Ram Navami, or during Navratras … should this be done? Lalu Prasad’s ji’s family has made a mockery of democracy. He has been involved in scams and his whole family is immersed in corruption.

We are clear on this. Modi ji has been the Prime Minister for 10 years. The minorities of the country have seen his work. It is not that someone has been asked to leave the country. We are trying to rehabilitate those who became minorities in neighbouring countries during Partition as they are also our people. At the same time, Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi Yadav, Lalu Prasad, and Akhilesh Yadav are just following the template of appeasement. This is what people are angry about.

The BJP’s official stand is that we are not against caste census. We support it. How it is to be done only time will tell. But, in Bihar, we have done it (caste survey). In the Cabinet of Nitish Kumar ji, of 29-30 ministers, 16 were from the