“Central Govt Looking At Caste Census With Hatred”: RJD Chief Lalu Yadav

Patna (Bihar) [India]: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav on Saturday said that the BJP-led central government is looking at the recently conducted caste census in Bihar with hatred.

While addressing the mediapersons at a book launch event in Patna, Lalu Prasad Yadav said, “We recently conducted a caste census. The central govt is looking at the caste census with hatred. How can policies be made without getting acquainted with the economic status and caste of a person?”

On the occasion, Lalu Yadav launched a book titled ‘Caste Pride which is authored by Manoj Mitta.

Earlier Bihar Government on August 18 informed the Supreme Court that an exercise of conducting surveys of the caste census in Bihar was conducted by August 6.

Countering the Bihar Government lawyer’s argument, the petitioner’s lawyer urged the top court that he sought to stay on publication of the results of the caste survey.

But a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti said that it will not stay the surveys unless there is some prima facie case warranting such a stay.

Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan said that the Bihar caste survey was done on the basis of an executive order and it cannot be done.

The petitioner challenging the survey claimed that the Union has the authority to conduct a Census in India and the state Government had no authority to decide and notify the conduct of a caste-based survey in the state of Bihar and the notification dated June 6, 2022, is null and void.

Various petitions were moved in the Supreme Court challenging the Patna High Court judgement upholding the caste survey ordered by the Bihar Government.
Earlier Patna High Court dismissed pleas challenging the Nitish Kumar government’s decision to conduct the survey based on castes.

In the survey data pertaining to people of all castes, sub-castes, socioeconomic conditions, etc. would be collected.

The decision of a caste census was taken by the Bihar cabinet on June 2 last year, months after the Centre ruled out such an exercise in the Census. The survey would cover an estimated population of 12.70 crores in an estimated 2.58 crore households in 38 districts, which have 534 blocks and 261 urban local bodies.