Daijiworld Media Network - Patna
Patna, May 1: The political war of words over the caste census has intensified in Bihar, with RJD leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, accusing the Narendra Modi-led government of taking the decision under public pressure, not out of genuine intent.
Speaking to reporters in Patna on Thursday, Tejashwi declared, “This is not a decision, it is a compulsion. They were left with no option. We’ve been raising this demand for years.”
He also demanded that the process begin without further delay and be completed ahead of the upcoming delimitation exercise. “The caste census must be concluded before delimitation so that seat allocation in Parliament and state Assemblies is based on updated and accurate population data,” he asserted.
Echoing similar views, Bihar Congress leaders credited Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for pushing the caste census demand on the national stage. In a symbolic gesture, Bihar Congress President Rajesh Kumar Ram offered milk to a portrait of Rahul Gandhi and said, “The slogan ‘Jiski Jitni Sankhya, Uska Utna Share’ (one’s share must match their numbers) has inspired hope for social justice in the country.”
However, BJP leaders swiftly countered these remarks, rejecting claims of political compulsion. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary defended the Centre’s move, saying, “This is a decision in national interest. Prime Minister Modi is fulfilling the promises that leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Lalu Yadav and Nitish Kumar failed to deliver on for decades.”
Choudhary added that BJP ministers would launch a statewide outreach campaign to explain the importance of the caste census and expose what he termed the "double standards" of the Congress and RJD. “They had power for years but never acted on the caste census. Now they want credit for something they never implemented,” he said.
The mounting political tug-of-war reveals the growing significance of the caste census as a pivotal electoral issue, with all parties scrambling to claim credit as champions of social justice ahead of the next round of elections.