Nitish praises Modi for OBC bill, says keen to meet him on caste census

Kumar, who unfurled the Tricolour for a record 15th time as Bihar CM on Sunday, said he had received the acknowledgment to his letter from the prime minister on caste census on August 13.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves praise for removing the confusion on state’s right to decide on other backward castes (OBCs).

Bihar CM holds Janata Darbar programme in Patna on Monday. (Santosh Kumar/HT Photo)

“The states had the right to decide on OBCs earlier also. In Bihar, former CM Karpoori Thakur also created a separate category for extremely backward classes (EBCs). Different states have done it differently, as they were empowered to do so. There was, however, some confusion for the last few years. After the court order, the Centre decide to clear it that states continue to have the right,” he said, reiterating his demand for caste census, saying it would be in the interest of the country and it was for the Centre to decide.

Talking to media persons after his weekly “Janata ke durbar me mukhyamantri” programme, Kumar, who unfurled the Tricolour for a record 15th time as Bihar CM on Sunday, said he had received the acknowledgment to his letter from the prime minister on caste census on August 13.

“Now whenever he deems fit, he will give time and we will discuss the matter with him. If it has to be done at the state level, it will be decided through a unanimous decision after talking to all sections. At present, we are waiting for time from the PM to discuss the matter with him,” he said.

Partition Horrors Remembrance Day

On PM’s announcement to observe August 14 as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day, Kumar said there was nothing wrong with it, as nobody wanted Partition of the country. “Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) was also against. He never wanted it, but it happened and the anger resulted in his assassination. The pains of partition are natural. My father was a freedom fighter and he used to narrate us everything. The new generation should also get to know of it,” he said.

Ayansh parents go for help

At the CM’s weekly programme on Monday, the parents of Ayansh, a 10-month-old child from Patna who is suffering from a rare disease called spinal muscular atrophy and needs an injection worth ₹16 crore to get cured of the disease, also reached there to meet Kumar, but officials just took their representation as his registration was not completed. The parents of Ayansh have so far collected around ₹6 crore through donations and have sought the remaining amount in government assistance. Last time, when the CM was asked about Ayansh, he had said that all should support it, but the government did not have any such scheme.