Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday targeted the Central government over their affidavit in the Supreme Court on the state government’s decision to conduct a caste-based census in the state.
CM Nitish Kumar was at the inauguration ceremony of a newly-constructed building at Nalanda University.
While speaking to the media, Nitish said, “It is the central government’s duty to conduct a census, we only want to conduct a survey in the state. Census is what is done at the Centre’s level and we can’t do that. We want to gather financial information about different people irrespective of any caste, rich or poor, Hindu or Muslim living in the state so that, we can work for their welfare.”
The central government on Monday, in its reply to the Supreme Court on the Bihar government’s caste-based survey, filed an affidavit and said that only it is entitled to conduct a census.
On being asked about the upcoming INDIA alliance meeting in Mumbai on September 1, CM Nitish kumar said, “Elections (2024 Lok Sabha) can happen at any time. It’s not necessary that they are conducted on time.”
Earlier, Janata Dal-United (JDU) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary slammed the central government for filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court against Bihar’s government decision to conduct caste-based census in the state.
Finance Minister of Bihar, Vijay Chaudhary, was addressing a press conference at the party’s office when he said, “Patna High Court also stands with the idea of Bihar government’s caste-based census. The central government is interfering in the matter. What the central government has done in the matter of caste census in the Supreme Court is not only comical, but it also stands against the benefits of the poor in Bihar.”
Reacting to it, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav also took a swipe at the Centre and said, “They have no knowledge. They only know how to lie and suppress the truth. They have opposed it even in the affidavit. It has been made clear that the BJP does not want it and is opposing it.”
He further said that the Centre should conduct a caste census across the country if it supports it. (ANI)