Shouldn't PM Modi and Nitish Kumar Get Credit for Caste Census?

Patna, May 1 (NationPress) The leader of Janata Dal (United), Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, took aim at Lalu Yadav, the chief of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), regarding the caste census, asserting that the accolades for this initiative should be attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

This remark follows Lalu Yadav's post on X, reminiscing about the period when he was the National President of Janata Dal, highlighting that the United Front government in Delhi had decided to carry out a caste census for the 2001 Census back in 1996-97, a move that ultimately was not enacted by the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

As the discourse surrounding the caste census heats up, various Opposition parties, including the Congress and Samajwadi Party, are claiming to be the catalysts behind the NDA government's recent decision to implement a caste census alongside the general census.

In an interview with IANS, Rajiv Ranjan Prasad remarked, “They are referring to 1996-97. They must also recall Nitish Kumar's compelling speech in Parliament in 1994, where he passionately championed this cause. His address was extensive, insightful, and impactful.

“Later, in 2020, during our tenure in the NDA government, the Bihar Legislative Assembly unanimously endorsed this issue, with Nitish Kumar at the helm. The NDA was in authority at that moment. Just because certain individuals choose to remain quiet doesn't grant them the right to claim accolades now.”

“This initiative was Nitish Kumar’s vision, which Prime Minister Modi embraced as the Bihar model. Therefore, if anyone warrants recognition for this decision, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who made it a reality,” he stated.

Rajiv Ranjan Prasad further addressed Lalu Yadav's comment regarding the accusations of political maneuvering based on caste when there was a push for a caste census.

“He held a ministerial position at the Centre when caste surveys were carried out between 1990 to 2005. It was their administration, and they had the opportunity to execute it then. People won’t buy into it — when they are in power, they remain inactive, but when they are in Opposition, they become vocal,” he concluded.

On April 30, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), led by Prime Minister Modi, sanctioned the enumeration of castes in the forthcoming Census — a surprising move, particularly in light of the BJP's historical reluctance to endorse it.

The nationwide census, postponed since 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is now primed to advance.