Amid repeated demands from the Bihar Opposition and with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining their calls for a caste-based census in the country, senior State BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi said, like Karnataka, the State government was free to conduct a caste-based census. Ms .Renu Devi also made it clear that the Centre would not accept any proposal for caste-based census in the country because of its policy decision.
“The Bihar government, like Karnataka, is free to hold caste-based census in the State but the Central government will not accept any proposal for this as its policy decision not to conduct caste based census,” she told media persons on the sidelines of the BJP’s Sahyog (community help) programme at the party headquarters on August 14.
In 2015, the Karnataka government had conducted a “socio-economic and education” survey which enumerated population percentages of different castes in the State.
Earlier, on August 4, after meeting with Bihar Opposition leaders on the issue, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking an appointment to discuss caste-based census. Opposition leaders have repeatedly demanded a caste-based census and urged Mr. Kumar to lead a delegation of State opposition leaders to meet Mr Modi on the issue.
After 10 days, the Chief Minister’s Office received an acknowledgement of the letter from the Prime Minister’s Office on August 14. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and RJD MLA Tejashwi Yadav had said “If need be, we all should sit on dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi over the issue”.
Mr. Yadav on August 14, demanded that the Prime Minister and Chief Minister should make an announcement of a caste-based census in the country on the occasion of 75th Independence Day.
“If not Parliament, then from the ramparts of Red Fort, I demand PM Modi announce caste-based census in the country for the holistic development of the poor, suppressed, backwards and extremely backwards,” Mr Yadav tweeted. “Since Centre does not pay heed to the state’s demand, chief minister Nitish Kumar should announce it during his Independence Day speech at Gandhi Maidan,” he added.
