Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to meet PM Modi over caste-based census demand

Earlier, JD(U)'s Parliamentary delegation met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and handed over a memorandum in support of caste-based census.

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New Delhi: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the demand for a caste-based census. He had written a letter to the PM in this regard and got an appointment, the CM said.

“We have sent a letter. We will meet as we got the appointment,” Kumar said.

This comes days after Kumar’s party JD(U)'s Parliamentary delegation met Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and handed over a memorandum in support of caste-based census.

Earlier this week, Kumar had asserted that he will take up the demand for caste-based census with the Centre and that in the event of a disagreement over the issue his government would keep the "option open" for a state-specific exercise.

Kumar, whose JD(U) is an ally of the BJP at the Centre as well as in the state, reiterated that the sentiment in Bihar was unanimously in favour of a caste-based census which would "benefit all sections of the society and facilitate more effective governance".

“I have intimated most political parties about my plan to write (to the Prime Minister) on the issue today. BJP too has been intimated about the same. We must state what we think about the issue. It is up to the centre to accept our request or reject it,” he told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly public interaction programme-Janata ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri.

The bicameral Bihar legislature had unanimously passed resolution in favour of caste-census in 2019 as well as in 2020.

Dismissing outright fears that a census of all castes could lead to social tensions, Kumar said, “When the legislature unanimously passed resolutions in support on two occasions, members of all parties and from all castes and religions supported it. There should be no misgivings.”

“It must take place at least once. It would benefit all social segments. Governance too will improve as schemes aimed at targeted betterment of different social segments would become more effective,” Kumar had said.

Caste-based census other than for SCs and STs has not been undertaken in the country after 1931.