OP Rajbhar demands caste-based census from newly formed government in Bihar

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar on Wednesday demanded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar to complete the caste-wise census within six months.

"Earlier, RJD, Congress, Left and JDU blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for becoming a hurdle in the caste census but now you are independent. I urge CM Nitish Kumar and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav to start a caste-wise census. You should do a caste census within six months and prove that you want to work for the backward classes. 

"Nitish Kumar used to announce about caste census and blame BJP for becoming a huddle. Now BJP is not a problem, we want it to be done. SBSP wants that caste-based census is conducted in the whole country." 

Caste-census in Bihar

The Bihar Chief Minister had earlier declared that the state will conduct a caste-wise survey to know the socio-economic status of all communities.

All allies of the mahagathbandhan government in Bihar were in favour of the caste survey when Nitish Kumar announced it on June 2. Kumar, while being in former ally BJP, had said that the exercise will be completed by February next year. He had also allocated a budget of Rs 500 crore for the survey. The JD(U) leader had said that the survey would allow the government to work for the various sections of society.

At the state level, the caste-based survey will be carried out by the General Administration, and at the district level, District Magistrate will be the nodal officer. 

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav, at that time, had called the announcement a "win" and said, "It's a caste-based survey, not a census. It's our win. We suggested (in the all-party meeting) that social anthropologists should be included in this and the Central government should also support it financially."