All party delegation from Bihar demands caste census, says PM’s response ‘positive’

New Delhi, Aug 23 (UNI) Amid sustained demand of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other political parties in the state for a caste census, an all-party delegation led by Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday to request for conducting national level caste census along with general census. Kumar later described the meeting as being “positive”.

The Chief Minister, who led the delegation of eleven political parties from Bihar, met the Prime Minister and urged him to implement caste based census to find out numbers of backward classes across the country. Hours before the meeting, former deputy chief minister of Bihar and senior BJP leader Sushil Modi said in a series of tweets that the BJP is not against caste census.

The delegation included Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, Mukesh Sahani of the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Jitan Ram Manjhi of Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM), and also Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Janak Ram.

Speaking to the media after the meeting outside the South Block, Nitish Kumar said all the political parties and the people of Bihar are of the opinion that caste based census should be held, and this was conveyed to the Prime Minister in details.

“We are grateful to the Prime Minister for listening to us. Everybody in the delegation put forth their point of view on caste based census. We are expecting that the PM will deliberate upon issues and take a decision on it,” Kumar said.

Kumar, who had been demanding caste census since long, reiterated his demand for the same after Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai announced in Parliament that there would not be caste census.

Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav meanwhile said they demanded caste census for the entire country and it will help in formulating better policies.

“Our delegation met the PM today not only for the caste census in Bihar but in the entire country because it will be a historical step and all the poor will benefit… When animals and trees are counted, then why not people… When the government has no scientific data on the population of backward classes, how will it make welfare policies,” he said.

Commenting on the recently passed OBC bill in Parliament, which empowered the state to make their own OBC list, he said, “When states will have caste data, only then it will be able to include castes in the state OBC list. If caste Census will lead to unrest, then the same logic applies to religion as well”.

BJP leader Janak Ram, who was also a part of the delegation, said whatever decision is taken by the Prime Minister will be acceptable to all.

“Prime Minister listened to us like a family. He is our leader, it is for him to take a decision,” Janak Ram told UNI.

Asked if the prime minister gave a positive response, he said: “Just like people of Bihar left the matter in the hands of Nitish Kumar, the people of India left the matter in the hands of Narendra Modi ji. Whatever he will do will be in the best interest of the country,” he said.

Senior BJP leader from Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi had tweeted on Sunday night that the BJP is not opposed to caste census.

“BJP has never been against caste census. We supported the resolution in the Assembly,” Modi said.

The demand for a census to count other backward classes was raised during the debate on a constitutional amendment Bill to restore states’ power to have their own OBC lists.

BJP’s ally in Uttar Pradesh, Apna Dal leader and Union Minister Anupriya Patel is among the leaders who demanded a caste census, which is likely to come up as an issue in upcoming polls in the state.