Lagatar24 Desk
A delegation of leaders from 10 political parties in Bihar, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar , RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav, HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi and VIP’s Mukesh Sahani, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday to discuss the issue of conducting a caste-based census.
“The Prime Minister listened to all the members of the delegation. We urged the PM to take an appropriate decision on it and briefed him on how resolutions have been passed twice in the state Assembly on the caste census,” Nitish Kumar told reporters in Delhi.
Following the meeting, Tejashwi said, “Our delegation met the PM today not only for caste census in the state (Bihar) but in the entire country. We are awaiting a decision on this now.”
All parties in Bihar, except the BJP, have demanded a count of caste numbers in the 2021 census. While the central government has so far refused to abide by the demand, some BJP, leaders including Bihar Deputy CM Renu Devi, have backed the census.
To further discuss this issue, Nitish Kumar is leading an 11-member delegation from Bihar. This is also the first time that Nitish and Tejashwi will be sharing a platform.
Demands for a caste census and a legislation to take reservations beyond 50 per cent resurfaced during the discussion on the Constitution Amendment Bill that sought to override a Supreme Court ruling and restore to states their right to create their own OBC lists.
