Patna: The Patna High Court on Thursday has put a stay on the caste surveys by the Bihar government. A division bench of Chief Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice Madhuresh Prasad has ordered the Bihar government to immediately stop caste enumeration process. It has also directed that the data collected should not be shared anywhere or with anyone.
Following the order, JDU chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said caste survey was conducted after forming an all-party consensus on the issue. RJD spokesperson Sarika Paswan said they were yet to see the court order and said that the path to the Supreme Court is open.
"An all-party resolution regarding caste enumeration was passed in the state assembly. Those who are talking about its political implications should remember that it was an all-party decision followed by a unanimous resolution that was passed in the assembly. It must be viewed from a political perspective," Neeraj Kumar, said.
It may be mentioned here that Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had earlier said that he could not understand why people had problem with the caste surveys. He said there has to be statistics about the communities and had also said that the move would not harm anyone. The survey work has been stopped following the court order. The next hearing is scheduled on July 3.
Also Read: Patna High Court halts caste census in Bihar till July 3
The caste enumeration was introduced in Bihar in January 7. The first round of the caste survey was conducted between January 7 and 21 while the second one was started on April 15 and is currently underway.
