After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said on Monday that the ball is now in the PM’s court and he has to take the decision on the issue of the caste-based census. “People in Bihar and the entire country are of the same opinion on this issue. We are grateful to the PM for listening to us. Now, he has to take a decision on it,” Kumar told reporters after the meeting.
“The Prime Minister listened to all members of the delegation on caste census in the state. We urged the PM to take an appropriate decision on it. We briefed him on how resolutions have been passed twice in the state assembly on caste census,” he added.
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The Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) chief also said that the caste-based census will help in formulating development plans effectively.
Kumar was leading a delegation of 10 political parties from Bihar who met PM Modi to discuss the issue of the caste-based census. He wrote to PM Modi on August 4 on the issue of the caste-based census exercise and assured the state’s opposition leaders.
Bihar’s deputy chief minister Renu Devi, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has insisted that even if the central government does not accept the demand of a caste-based census the state can hold one on its own like Karnataka. However, Kumar, a BJP ally, on being asked if his government is prepared to hold a state-specific caste-based census, told news agency PTI that it shall be decided when the time comes. “We shall decide when the time comes. Let us first see what transpires at the meeting with the PM," Kumar said on August 21.
{{/usCountry}}Bihar’s deputy chief minister Renu Devi, who belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has insisted that even if the central government does not accept the demand of a caste-based census the state can hold one on its own like Karnataka. However, Kumar, a BJP ally, on being asked if his government is prepared to hold a state-specific caste-based census, told news agency PTI that it shall be decided when the time comes. “We shall decide when the time comes. Let us first see what transpires at the meeting with the PM," Kumar said on August 21.
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