Caste census: Nitish ignores queries on BJP’s concerns

The state BJP chief, who claimed to have flagged his concerns at the meeting, said it must be ensured that the survey “excludes foreign infiltrators like Bangladeshis and Rohingyas (from Myanmar)” lest they might get legitimacy.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday sidestepped a query about apprehensions expressed by ally BJP over the proposed headcount of castes in the state.

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar visits Vidhan Sabha Bhawan Shatabdi Smriti Stambh in Patna on Saturday. (Santosh Kumar/HT)

“Pata nahin,” (I am not aware) was the curt reply of the chief minister, who was asked by journalists about state BJP president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal’s demand that “Rohingyas” be kept out of the purview of the survey.

“’Caste- based calculation is in favour of everyone. It is not against anyone. It’ll take some time. We’ll keep informing parties about it and take suggestions from them,” Kumar told reporters on Saturday.

“Every community, irrespective of the religion they follow, will be counted completely. There will also be an attempt to know what is their economic condition,” the CM said.

Jaiswal, in Facebook posts on Thursday evening and again on Saturday, had raised concerns with regard to the caste census.

The state BJP chief, who claimed to have flagged his concerns at the meeting, said it must be ensured that the survey “excludes foreign infiltrators like Bangladeshis and Rohingyas (from Myanmar)” lest they might get legitimacy.

Another point of contention raised by Jaiswal was that in the Seemanchal region, upper caste Sheikh Muslims were allegedly known to falsely claim OBC status for reservation benefits and such anomalies must be put to an end by the survey.

Meanwhile, Bihar’s former deputy CM and BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi has suggested that the proposed caste census be done through electronic survey or e-survey instead of paper survey, in which all information through enumerator tablet will be collected so that real time data can be uploaded.