Kushwaha asks BJP to resolve inner conflict on caste census

Former union minister and JDU parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha has said the BJP to resolve differences among its leaders on caste census issue, writes Chief of Bureau Amit Bhelari.

Patna:Former union minister and JDU parliamentary board chairman Upendra Kushwaha Thursday asked the BJP to resolve its inner conflict on caste census.

Kushwaha issued the statement in the backdrop of several BJP leaders giving statements not supporting a caste-based census despite an 11-member delegation recently meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue.

“There is an inner conflict within the BJP as some leaders are supporting caste census and some leaders are speaking against the same issue. BJP first needs to resolve the inner conflict as time and again, there is contradiction in their statements, “Kushwaha said in Patna.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar August 23 headed the delegation of 10 different political parties, including RJD, and met the Modi to press the demand for a caste census. In the delegation, even a representative of BJP present in the form of Bihar minister Janak Ram.

After the meeting, several BJP leaders issued statements not supporting the caste-based census. In fact the first big statement came from none other than Janak Ram who was part of the delegation. He said that development of weaker section castes is possible without caste census.

Senior BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh made a veiled attack on Nitish Kumar by saying that such a census should not be for the purpose of doing politics but in favour of society. Former union minister and senior most BJP leader CP Thakur went one step ahead saying that leaders should not mount pressure on the Prime Minister for the cast census.

By issuing the press note, Thakur stated that census should not be done on the basis of caste but on the basis of financial condition. He said that if there would be a census, it should be based on the rich and poor.

On the contrary, another senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Modi Modi had said that BJP was never against caste census. His statement had come ahead of the delegation meeting the Prime Minister. In his several tweets the former deputy chief minister had said that there were some technical and practical difficulties but still BJP supports caste census in its principle.

Another BJP minister of Bihar Ramprit Paswan recently said that they are even realising the need and benefit of the caste based census.

No doubt what Kuswaha said is absolutely correct as there is conflict among the BJP leaders on the issue. A resolution was passed for a caste-based census in both houses of Bihar legislative - assembly and council - in 2019 and 2020 and BJP was also part of that resolution.

The caste-based census issue has become so big that even the arch rivals like RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and JDU leader Nitish Kumar have stood together. Both leaders are continuously demanding such a census. In fact, on the suggestion of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, the Bihar Chief Minister had sought time to meet the Prime Minister and the meeting took place also in Delhi.

Both Lalu and Nitish are speaking the same language arguing that to understand the population and economic condition of the weaker sections of the society, caste census must be done at least once.

Kushwaha too demanded Thursday that caste census must be done and stressed that he doesn't give much attention to what other leaders are saying about it.

“In the digital age, I don't think there would be any problem in the caste census as you just need to insert an additional column in it. I am really not bothered by what others are saying but I am hopeful of the meeting which took place between PM Modi and Nitish ji, “Kushwaha stressed.

Nitish after returning to Patna had stressed that the ball was now in the court of the Prime Minister and it was up to him to take the decision on caste census.

Not only this, even former chief minister and president of Hindustani Awam Morcha Secular (HAMS) Jitan Ram Manjhi has asserted that if the Centre doesn't do it then Bihar should do the caste-based census on its own.