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Bihar: RJD demands caste census

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav has written to 33 senior political leaders to press the demand for a caste census.

Led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar whose party JD(U) has been a ruling ally of BJP, the Opposition party leaders in Bihar, had earlier met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to put forth their demand for caste based census.

“The demand for caste based census needs to be seen as an essential step in nation building. The caste census once conducted would actually bring to the forefront the pressing concerns that a country like India must attend to with a sense of urgency. This is a historic opportunity before us to push for an agenda that is essential for making this country more just and egalitarian. It would play a pivotal role in ensuring social harmony and social cohesion”, Mr. Yadav wrote in letter to the leaders.

Yadav’s letter is addressed to  Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, National Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, former Bihar CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samajwadi Party supremo Mayawati, Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik, CPI leader D Raja, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury, formerJ&K CM Farooq Abdullah, Tamil Nadu CM and DMK leader M.K.Stalin, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, AIADMK coordinator O Panneerselvam and others.

“I’m sure you will agree with me that we need to join our hands and push the government of the day to see this absolutely crucial need to set the priorities of the socio-economic development of our country. I am open to suggestions and inputs from you so that we immediately prepare our plan of action in this regard without any further delay”, Yadav wrote in the letter conclusively.

Earlier on September 24, he had said that he would wait for Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s response on Central government’s decision that conducting caste based census would not be feasible in the country.  Yadav’s father and the Rashtriya Janata Dal chief, Lalu Prasad  too had wondered why the BJP/RSS had “so much hatred against backward class people”.

Yadav had also called for boycott of BJP ministers sand party MPs belonging to Other and Extremely Backward Class.