Grateful to PM Modi for listening to us, now he has to take a decision on caste census: Nitish Kumar

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s party Janata Dal (United) is an ally of the BJP in the state and is in favour of caste-based census. (File image of PM Modi with CM Nitish Kumar)

An 11-member delegation led by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on August 23 on the issue of a caste-based census.

Apart from Kumar, the delegation included leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and state minister Janak Ram.

“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,” Kumar said after the meeting.

“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 said.

Also Read: How Nitish Kumar-led caste census ante could be tricky for PM Narendra Modi before UP polls

Kumar’s party Janata Dal (United) is an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar and is in favour of caste-based census.

“Our delegation met the PM today not only for caste census in the state (Bihar) but in the entire country. We are awaiting a decision on this now,” Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said.

Before the meeting, Yadav said that resolutions have been passed twice in the Bihar Assembly demanding caste state in the state. Earlier this month, a delegation of JD(U) led by party national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to press for a caste-based census.

Yadav has asked the Nitish government to conduct the exercise “on its own” if the Centre refuses to budge from its stand.

Of late, many political parties have come together demanding a caste-based census. BJP allies such including JD-U, Apna Dal and Republican Party of India (RPI) are also part of the demand. Opposition parties such as the Congress (INC), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) are also demanding that the exercise should be held.

The last caste-based census was conducted and released in 1931, while in 1941, the data was collected but not made public. In 2011, a socio-economic caste census was carried out but the data was again not made public on grounds of “discrepancies”.

The issue has gained momentum considering assembly elections due next year.