Bihar CM Nitish Kumar makes BIG statement on caste census demand - Details inside

After a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the issue of a caste Census, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said, “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."

He said, "We briefed him on how resolutions have been passed twice in the state assembly on caste census.”

CM Kumar met PM Modi today along with a team of 11 political members from Bihar, including RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav. 

“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,” the Bihar CM said.

Tejashwi Yadav, after the meeting, said that it will be a 'historical step,' as the poor will benefit. 

When animals and trees are counted, then why not castes. When the government has no scientific data on the population, how can it make welfare policies?" Tejashwi said, adding, "When states will have caste data, then only 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."

Yadav had earlier written a letter to the central government about caste census, however, the proposal then was refuted. Centre has so far not accepted the demand of the same. 

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai on July 20 in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha had said, "The Government of India has decided as a matter of policy not to enumerate caste-wise populations other than SCs and STs in the census."

BJP leader and former deputy CM of Bihar, Sushil Kumar Modi on Twitter had said, “BJP was never against caste-based census, we have also been part of resolutions passed in the legislative assembly and council in its support. The delegation that will meet PM Modi also includes a BJP representative." In another tweet, he had written, “When the then government conducted a social, economic and caste-based assessment, there were shortcomings in data. The number of communities ran into lakhs. That report was not made public because of the errors. It was not part of the Census."