Tejashwi Yadav strongly bats for caste census, says BJP is afraid

Kozhikode: RJD leader and Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday strongly advocated for holding a caste census in India.

Yadav emphasised that such an exercise is crucial in comprehending the socio-economic conditions of the impoverished sections of the country.

Addressing a press conference in this north Kerala city where he was attending a meeting regarding the merger of Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Yadav alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is hesitant to conduct a caste census.

"...I guess that the BJP... they are really afraid of getting the caste census done... We are in full support of the caste census," stated Yadav, alongside LJD state president M V Shreyams Kumar.

Yadav pointed out that leaders from various constituents of the INDIA alliance, including Rahul Gandhi of the Indian National Congress, have consistently raised the issue of a caste census.

"What we want is that it should happen all over the country. The caste census can only be done by the central government, as per the Constitution. In Bihar, what we did was a caste-based survey," clarified Yadav in response to a query.

The government of Nitish Kumar in Bihar recently unveiled the results of its much-anticipated caste survey.

This revelation, preceding the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, disclosed that Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs) collectively constitute a substantial 63 per cent of Bihar's population.

This development has triggered a widespread call for similar caste-based enumerations in other states, becoming a pivotal agenda of the opposition INDIA coalition.

Yadav further asserted that the merger between RJD and LJD would fortify the party's standing in southern India, conveying a robust message to socialist factions across the nation.