Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Teajswhi Yadav on Thursday said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has agreed to conduct State-specific caste exercise. Earlier, a delegation of Bihar leaders led by Mr. Kumar had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to hold caste census in the country but later, the Central Government had refused to hold the same.
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“Today a delegation of the legislators of the RJD, the Congress, the Left parties and the AIMIM met the Chief Minister and urged him to hold State-specific caste exercise as earlier he had said he he will do so if the Centre does not. Today we met him to remind him to expedite the process and walk the talk, he said.
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Addressing presspersons at the Assembly, the Rashtriya Janata Dal leader said: “We had earlier sought an appointment with the Chief Minister to press our demand for the census and a meeting will be held regarding this in three to four days.”
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He also said they have never doubted the Chief Minister’s commitment as “both the Houses have passed unanimous resolutions twice in support of the demand”. The five–day winter session of the legislature will end on December 3.
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“We’re expecting a statement from the Chief Minister during the ongoing winter session but it has not come. We’ll keep the public posted about it,” Mr. Yadav said. He dispelled the fears expressed by some State BJP leaders that the census would “sharpen social divisions”, and said, “on the contrary it will facilitate targeted development of the weaker sections and create greater social harmony”.