Patna, April 30: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his watershed decision to conduct a caste-based census in the country.

“It is a matter of great happiness. The decision will help understand the demographic structure and ensure focused policies for the upliftment of different sections of society. I thank Prime Minister Modi for this step,” he said.

Bihar has already conducted a state-level caste survey in 2023, considered a key trigger for reviving the national discourse around caste-based enumeration.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha echoed Nitish Kumar’s remarks by declaring the decision “historic”.

“This is not just a slogan - ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’ is being implemented in letter and spirit. The government will now make targeted development schemes based on real caste data,” Sinha said.

He contrasted the Modi government’s decision-making with prior regimes.

“What the earlier governments ignored, the Modi government is now honouring. This is a revolutionary step towards inclusive development and social justice,” Sinha said.

Bihar Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, also termed the announcement a “historic victory” of the social justice movement of his party.

“We went from the Prime Minister to the President demanding the caste census. Our voices were ignored, but now, when the sound of our footsteps reached Delhi, they had to bow down,” he said.

Tejashwi emphasised that his party’s goal has now expanded. “Our struggle won't end with just counting castes. We will now fight for seat reservation for backward and extremely backward communities, just like the provisions available to Dalits and Adivasis,” he said.

He also pointedly added that the caste census must be conducted before delimitation of constituencies, hinting at a broader electoral restructuring based on real-time demographic representation.

--IANS

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