Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, announced on Thursday that he has requested a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the sensitive topic of a caste-based census, which the Centre has planned to hold just for SCs and STs, sparking outrage in the state. Last month, the Union administration told Parliament that only the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be counted. This has prompted additional requests that the population of all castes be re-enumerated during the census.
“I’ve sent my letter to the Prime Minister. We will take the matter ahead once he grants us an appointment,” the chief minister told reporters today. Notably, the state legislature has voted unanimous resolutions in favour of a caste-based census on two occasions.
Furthermore, opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav met with Kumar last week and suggested that, because all political parties in Bihar are united on the topic of caste-based census, Kumar meet with the Prime Minister as part of an all-party team.
In the event that the Centre does not agree to the proposal to include all castes in the census, the chief minister has stated that his government will “keep the option open” of holding a state-specific exercise.
Kumar is the de facto leader of the JD(U), which has been a BJP coalition partner for nearly three decades. He believes that a caste-based census will aid in the creation and execution of policies directed at specific social groups’ wellbeing.
The last time the country conducted a caste-based headcount was in 1931. The Bihar chief minister, who recently caused a stir by calling for an investigation into the Pegasus scandal, expressed delight that the Supreme Court has taken up the case and intervened where needed.
“This should not be a problem for anyone. When asked about the phone-tapping with Pegasus malware, Kumar stated, “What better way to have the Apex Court look into the subject than to have the Apex Court look into the matter?”
After returning to the capital after performing an airborne survey for flood relief in four districts, the chief minister chuckled off a question about his arch foe Lalu Prasad, who is in Delhi, getting “politically active.”
“Let us not discuss these matters. Everyone has the right to act in accordance with his or her desires “As a parting statement, the JD(U) leader added. Prasad has been recuperating in the capital since his release from a Ranchi jail where he had been held after being convicted in a series of fodder scam cases.
Prasad, one of the most colourful and flamboyant politicians of his generation, has made news for his recent meetings with old socialists like Mulayam Singh Yadav and Sharad Yadav, as well as his support for a “third front.”
