E-Paper
Bihar BJP in ‘full support’ of caste-based census but says ‘it needs improvement’
LoP in Bihar assembly probed the mechanism used to conduct the survey when several people are living out of state for different purposes. CM couldn't respond.
Leader of opposition in the Bihar assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha on Tuesday extended full support to the caste-based census, however, he pointed out a quibble. “It needs improvement”. After attending the all-party meeting in the assembly, Sinha recounted that he asked Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar about the mechanism used to conduct the survey when several people are living outside the state. “The CM was looking at the officials,” he claimed.
“We are in full support of this (census) which will ensure the upliftment of the poor. However, there are several flaws in the census and it needs improvement,” Sinha told reporters.
Also read: Bihar caste survey: A new strand to India’s identity politics
The Bihar government on Monday released a set of data from its caste-based census that put the proportion of backward and extremely backward classes (EBCs) population in the state at 27% and 36%, respectively. Releasing the data, acting chief secretary of the state Vivek Kumar Singh said the detailed analysis of the data would be conducted later.
Sinha had earlier hit out at the Bihar government saying the cast-based census was conducted to create tension in the state, added that there is nothing new in the report. “This is for creating tension in Bihar. They don't have the mentality for the future, social harmony or development,” he said earlier.
After releasing the data, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar announced that the report of the caste survey will be presented to leaders of nine political parties in the state assembly at 3.30pm on Tuesday.
In another significant move, the Nitish Kumar cabinet approved 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in the judicial services, and the state-run law colleges and universities. The move is seen as Nitish government's effort to blunt criticism by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the opposition parties such as the Congress and Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United were trying to divide Hindus along caste lines.
