New Delhi
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has accused the Central government of deliberately attempting to hinder the caste-based survey in Bihar. This allegation follows the submission of an affidavit by the Office of the Registrar General from the Union Home Ministry, asserting that only the Centre is entitled to conduct exercises akin to a census. The dispute arose after the Supreme Court was informed by the Centre that no entity except the government has the authority to carry out a census or similar activities. The affidavit, filed in response to multiple pleas challenging the caste-based survey in Bihar, clarified the constitutional and legal position on the matter. RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha criticized the government’s actions, claiming that the completed caste census in Bihar is being obstructed by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) using various pretexts. He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) are conspiring to prevent people from availing benefits, suggesting that this is their primary intention. Jha highlighted the involvement of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta in the Supreme Court proceedings as indicative of the PMO’s direct role in impeding the caste census. Referring to changes in the affidavit, Jha stated that the affidavit initially claimed that no entity except the Centre can carry out a census or similar activities, and later, after public outcry, the government termed this assertion an inadvertent error. A subsequent affidavit was filed, leading Jha to conclude that the government’s intent was deliberate and aimed at obstructing the census. The RJD leader warned the government of potential consequences if it continued to block the caste census, emphasizing that such actions could ignite the volcano. He asserted that attempts to thwart the census would only serve to expose the government’s intentions further.
