Big Divide: Nitish To Go Ahead With Caste Census, Talks on with leaders of all parties underway
Patna, May 23 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that discussion with
leaders of various political parties was on to fix a date of all party meeting to be convened for taking a decision on caste census in the state.
Kumar told media persons here that leaders of political parties were being contacted for finalising a date of all party meeting to be convened for a decision on caste census in Bihar.
Some leaders had already been contacted while other leaders would be approached soon to finalise a date of all party meeting on caste census, he added.
” We want all party meeting to seek views of leaders of all political parties on how to conduct caste census in Bihar using its own resources”, Chief Minister said adding that after seeking views of leaders of all parties on modalities for caste census, a final decision to go ahead would be taken by the government.
After that, the proposal of caste census would be approved by the cabinet, he added.
Kumar responding to a query on possibility of fixing May 27 as the date of all party meeting for a decision on caste census, said that some leaders had been contacted with the proposal of May 27
as the date of all party meeting but consensus on the date had not been evolved as yet.
It would be better if all party meeting was held on caste census before government taking final decision on the issue, he noted.
Chief Minister said that resolution for caste census was passed unanimously two times in Bihar Legislative Assembly.
Similarly, the resolution was also passed once unanimously in Bihar Legislative Council, he pointed out.
Kumar, however, to a query on forming a coordination committee in NDA, refused to make any comment. All parties including RJD, JD(U) and Congress were prepared for caste census but BJP appeared reluctant on the issue. Barring former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, no other senior leader of BJP of Bihar had openly supported the move for caste census so far.
All party delegation led by Chief Minister Kumar had called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August last year to request him for conducting caste census at national level but the Central government refused it saying it was not possible due to administrative reasons. After that, Chief Minister Kumar had expressed his willingness to go ahead for caste census in Bihar using its own resources.
