Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) Party leader Chirag Paswan questioned the veracity of the statistics in the report of the Bihar caste census, alleging that it has only been done for political gain and to inflate the numbers for certain caste groups.
“There is a clear political conspiracy to inflate the figures of certain caste groups while minimising that of a few others,” Mr. Paswan told The Hindu. He said the problem particularly affects many smaller caste groups that come under the Scheduled Caste list and also extends to the Other Backward Classes.
Though he did not name any caste group in particular there are growing complaints in Bihar that the Kushwaha community has been underrepresented in the caste census.
Mr. Paswan also used the caste census data to take potshots at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He said, “The ruling coalition claims that political representation should be proportionate to the numerical strength of a community. Going by this principle, how can Nitish Kumar who is from a community that comprises just 3% of the population continue as the Chief Minister of the State?”
Even though Mr. Paswan tried to run down the caste census, the data helps him consolidate his position as a Dalit leader in the State. The Dalit population in Bihar has been pegged at 19.65%.
A JD(U) leader said, “The only reason he [Chirag Paswan] is questioning the caste census is because he is now with the NDA which finds itself in deep trouble with the census statistics. Their communal rhetoric based on unifying all caste groups under a single Hindutva umbrella will no longer work. Every caste group will want to know what has been done for them.”
