Calling caste census a legitimate demand, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said it is the need of the hour. It is pro-development and will help policymakers frame targeted welfare policies for backward castes, claimed the CM.

He further announced that he will hold an all-party meeting over this matter in Bihar.

His remarks come after Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said that conducting a caste-based census is in the national interest.

“Caste census is in the national interest. Welfare cannot be done until a real picture is presented before everyone. We need scientific statistics. It is a conscious decision of the public of Bihar. All parties in the legislative assembly passed a proposal that a caste census indeed should take place. 80-90 per cent Indians want a caste census to happen,” ANI quoted Yadav as saying.

We are currently waiting for Nitish Kumar’s reaction and statements on the matter and we have given him 2-3 days for that, Tejashwi said adding that the opposition’s action plan will be decided only after that

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met a delegation of 10 parties led by the Bihar CM to discuss a caste-based census in Delhi on August 23.

Earlier today, an all-party delegation from Jharkhand met Home Minister Amit Shah today, with the demand for a caste-based census.

This week the Modi government in an affidavit in the Supreme Court virtually ruled out caste census after which the BJP took a swipe at parties advocating it and asked how much representation have they given to different social groups in their organisations and among elected representatives.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi criticised Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Bahujan Samaj Party and alleged that their leaders were projected as leaders of the poor and deprived communities but they ended up promoting their own families.

Several parties, mostly regional ones are pitching for a caste census.