Patna
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday upped the ante on the issue of headcount of Other Backward Classes by declaring that he will “not allow any census in Bihar” unless the Centre acceded to the demand for coming out with the numbers of OBCs, besides the SCs and the STs.
Yadav also lambasted the BJP for having displayed an “anti-social justice” mindset by getting Union minister Nityanand Rai, incidentally an OBC from Bihar himself, to give a written statement in Parliament that the government will not take up a headcount of social groups other than Dalits and tribals.
“BJP has been an anti-social justice party. Two times have resolutions been passed unanimously by the Bihar assembly in favour of a caste census. But the Centre, and Union minister Mr Rai have shown their reluctance in writing. Without this, we will not allow any census in Bihar,” Yadav tweeted.
Notably, Yadav was part of a delegation headed by the Bihar Chief Minister, that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year to press the demand for caste census.
The RJD leader, who is the leader of the opposition in the state assembly, was also of the view that if the Centre did not agree, the state government should consider an exercise making use of “its own resources”.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has, in principle, agreed to such a state-specific exercise though it has been hanging fire for want of the BJP’s willingness to attend an all-party meeting to discuss the modalities.
