TEJASHWI MEETS NITISH TO PUSH FOR CASTE CENSUS, SAYS CM POSITIVE

PATNA: In a renewed push for a caste census, Bihar’s leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, along with Congress and left leaders, on Friday met chief minister Nitish Kumar in the state Assembly to seek his support in raising the issue before Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The last caste census was done in 1931. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre has ruled out a caste count in the Census 2021.

Kumar’s party Janata Dal (United) is a key constituent of the NDA.

In a press briefing after meeting the CM, Yadav said Kumar supported the need for caste census and listened to their demand that an all-party delegation should meet the Prime Minister to press for the same.

“The BJP too had supported the resolutions favouring a caste census passed by the state legislature twice. It is a question of prestige of the state Assembly,” the opposition leader said.

“The CM has assured us he would write to PM on August 2 to seek time after returning from New Delhi,” Tejashwi said.

Kumar left for the national capital on Friday to attend his party JD(U)’s national executive meeting on Saturday.

Yadav said he had apprised the CM about the caste census carried out by the Karnataka government in 2018 and demanded a similar decision be taken in Bihar in case the PM does not give time to meet an all-party delegation. “The CM assured us he would examine details of Karnakata example,” he said.

Congress legislature party leader Ajeet Sharma, who was also part of the delegation, said the meeting with the CM was positive. CPI, CPI-ML(Liberation) leaders also attended the meeting.

Kumar too has been pushing for a caste census.

Meanwhile, BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan said the demand for a caste census as totally unwarranted. “Those demanding caste census are playing divisive politics. There is a need for count of the poor,” he said.