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Tejashwi meets Nitish to push for caste census, says CM positive
PATNA In a renewed push for a caste census, Bihar’s leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, along with Congress and left leaders, on Friday met chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state Assembly to seek his support in raising the issue before Prime Minister Narendra Modi
PATNA
In a renewed push for a caste census, Bihar’s leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, along with Congress and left leaders, on Friday met chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state Assembly to seek his support in raising the issue before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The last caste-wise enumeration was done 90 years ago, in 1931. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre has ruled out a caste count, other than among scheduled castes and tribes, in the Census 2021.
Kumar’s party Janata Dal (United) is a key constituent of the NDA at the Centre and in Bihar.
In a press briefing after meeting the CM, Tejashwi Yadav said Kumar supported the need for caste census and listened to their demand that an all-party delegation should meet the Prime Minister to press for the same.
“The Bhartiya Janata Party too had supported the resolutions favouring a caste census passed by the state legislature twice. It is a question of prestige of the state Assembly,” the opposition leader said.
“The chief minister has assured us he would write to PM on August 2 to seek time after returning from New Delhi,” Tejashwi said.
Kumar left for the national capital on Friday to attend his party JD(U)’s national executive meeting on Saturday.
Yadav said he had apprised the CM about the caste census carried out by the Karnataka government in 2018 and demanded a similar decision be taken in Bihar in case the PM does not give time to meet an all-party delegation. “The CM assured us he would look into the matter by getting all papers related to caste census done in Karnakata and its legal aspects,” he said.
Congress legislature party leader Ajeet Sharma, who was also part of the delegation, said the meeting with the CM was positive. CPI, CPI-ML(Liberation) leaders also attended the meeting.
Though Kumar did not mention his meeting with Opposition leaders, he too has been pushing for a caste census, saying it will help in better decisions for the people’s development and welfare. “We will request the Centre that a caste-based census should be done at least once,” said Kumar. “I have been saying this for a long time. It will give a clear idea about the population of different castes and help plan for them. An attempt was made in 2010, but it was not done properly. It was completed in 2013, but was never published,” he said.
Both JD(U) and RJD have thrived on the plank of social justice for traditionally backward castes.
Meanwhile, BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan said the demand for a caste census as totally unwarranted. “Those demanding caste census are playing divisive politics. There is a need for count of the poor,” he said.
